A Dangerous Friendship
by all4jesus84
Summary: Ronnie still remembers life before the Camdens. When she befriends Chad, memories come back as she tries to help a kindred spirit. As she tries to help him, she doesn't realize she is putting herself in danger. Sequel to Discoveries
1. Chapter 1

**Okay just for the record, I don't own any of the 7th Heaven characters, but I do own Veronica (Ronnie) Jenkins-Camden as well as Chad Delano and Luke Delano. Enjoy! This is the sequel to Discoveries.**

**Chapter One!**

"Ronnie, wait up!" Simon Camden called from the front step of their house. Already halfway down the driveway, 15-year-old Ronnie paused and turned to see Simon struggling to stuff his paper-bagged lunch in his backpack. She smiled patiently.

"You're gonna make us late again." She called. Simon moaned, finally gave up, unable to fit his lunch in his bag, and carried it in his hand as he caught up to Ronnie.

"I didn't make us late last time. Dad was the one who was late. He was too busy getting his church stuff." Simon said as he followed Ronnie to the car.

"Well, he's already waiting in the car for us. Lucy's waiting too. They're both waiting for us." Ronnie explained as the two got intothe car.

"You're late." Lucy glared at her brother from the front seat and Simon shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to get into an argument.

"It doesn't matter, you'll get to school on time." Eric Camden said to Lucy, Ronnie and Simon who he was chauffeuring to school that morning. Ronnie sighed to herself with a smile. _They're a littlecrazy, but I love 'em. _As Eric drove the three teenagers to school, Ronnie stared at the window with a smile on her face, thinking once again about how lucky she was to have these people as her family.

Ronnie wasn't biologically a member of the Camden family. She had been raised with abusive parents up until she was a teenager, just struggling to survive. She wanted so desperately to escape the life she had been forced to live, but it had all come crashing down around her when her father, angry because he found out Ronnie had gone to church, shot her! It had been close, but Eric Camden, the reverend at Glen Oaks Community Church, who had suspected abuse, arrived at the house just in time to save her. Ronnie was released to social services, but Eric and his wife Annie had grown close to the young girl, visiting her everyday in the hospital.

They decided to adopt her.

Ronnie was finally able to live a life filled with love and family, but not long afterwards, her father had killed his wife, Ronnie's mother, and himself, leaving Ronnie feeling confused and guilty. That was six months ago, and Ronnie was still undergoing therapy to help her with the feelings she had about her parents. But having her adoptive family's support made all the difference in the world. She felt she could always talk to Eric and Annie about anything, her adoptive parents. Eric was so easy to go to about spiritual matters, being the reverend of the church. Ronnie was still fairly new to her faith, and appreciated honest answers from Eric. Annie was so caring and so attentive to every need Ronnie had. Ronnie had been an only child, so being adopted into the Camden family, she found herself with seven brothers and sisters.

Matt, the oldest, was 23 years old and resided with his best friend John in a small apartment not far from where the Camdens lived. Ronnie loved his frequent visits home and loved to hear his stories from the medical world, since he was studying to become a doctor.

Mary was the oldest daughter, who was 19 years old. She lived at home with her parents and siblings. She loved playing basketball and Ronnie, who was now on the basketball team at school, often played one on one with Mary for practice.

Lucy was 17 and very much interested in the opposite sex. Her sisters and brothers always wondered who her boyfriend would be this week, as her love interests always seemed to be changing. She shared a bedroom in the attic with her sister Mary. Ronnie loved hanging out with Lucy, the closest sister to her age, and sharing secrets with her.

Simon, who was 14, did very well in school and was always getting straight A's. Ronnie got along very well with Simon, being so close in age, and they often worked on their homework together. Sometimes Simon was able to help Ronnie with her homework, even though she was a grade ahead of him.

Ruthie was the youngest daughter. At 10 years old, she was already showing signs of a gifted child and she was the only member of the Camden family to attend a private school. She and Ronnie got along very well.

The youngest of the family were the twins, 2-year-old's Sam and David who were just like any other toddler entering their terrible twos. Ronnie sometimes became frustrated with the crying and the screaming, but she usually escaped to her bedroom or tagging along with Mary and Lucy, who took the car and went for ice cream to get away from the little brothers.

Ronnie loved how close the family was. She loved how safe she felt, a feeling she had never had before she met the Camdens.

* * *

"Ronnie, Ronnie!" Lucy shook Ronnie awake, who had fallen asleep in the car. Ronnie opened her eyes and looked around, realizing they had arrived at their school.

"Woah." She muttered as she stretched her arms, surprised she had drifted off to sleep in only a matter of minutes. Eric turned in his seat to smile at Ronnie.

"You seem a little tired honey." He said. Simon rolled his eyes.

"No kidding dad." He said.

"Sorry, I'm awake. Let's go." Ronnie grabbed her backpack and opened the car door.

"Ronnie." Eric called as Lucy and Simon had already begun to run up the school steps. Ronnie turned around.

"Yeah Eric?" She asked. It still felt weird, calling him Eric. In her heart, Eric and Annie were her mom and dad, but she hadn't felt comfortable expressing it yet. She didn't know if it was appropriate or not.

"Are you getting enough sleep?" Eric asked, concerned. Ronnie smiled, still amazed at how much these people cared about her.

"I guess. Well last night I was up kind of late. I was on the phone with Chad until after midnight, trying to help him understand our math homework." She explained, referring to her best friend who was in her tenth grade class. She had met him a few months after she had moved in with the Camdens, and they had become extremely close, despite the fact they were of the opposite sex.

"Ronnie, you know phone curfew is 11:00p.m." Eric said with raised eyebrows. Ronnie froze, unconsciously feeling the same fear she would get when her father began to get angry. She knew Eric would never hurt her like her father did, but still, somewhere deep down, that fear was still there. Eric noticed it immediately.

"You're not in trouble Ron; we put that rule in place so you go to bed at a decent time so you don't end up falling asleep in the car." He said with a wink. Ronnie felt relieved and blushed.

"I know. I just felt sorry for Chad. He said he tried to get the homework done earlier, but couldn't understand. He called me earlier, around 8:00p.m. but he said he couldn't talk. He wouldn't tell me why but he hung up pretty fast, asking if I'd call him around 11:00p.m. I knew about the rule, but he sounded so desperate." She explained, still curious why Chad wasn't able to talk. Eric nodded with a smile.

"You're a good kid Ronnie." He looked at the time. "You'd better run; the bell will ring in a few minutes." Ronnie puckered her brow and checked her watch. She widened her eyes.

"Bye Eric!" She called as she turned and ran toward the school, almost tripping on the steps. Eric laughed to himself as he started up the car. _She really is a good kid. _He smiled proudly. _She's really come a long way._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two!**

"Okay class, I'll let you get into groups of two or three so you can go over yesterday's homework. I know most of you had difficulties with it, so I'll allow some time to compare notes." Ronnie's math teacher, Ms. Frente said as the students pulled desks together, turning in their notebooks to their homework. Ronnie pulled up beside Chad, who seemed somewhat distracted that morning.

"Hey Chad." Ronnie greeted. Chad jumped as he noticed Ronnie sitting next to him.

"Geez Ron, you scared me." He said with a laugh, jokingly clutching his chest, mimicking a heart attack. Ronnie giggled.

"You looked like you were on another planet." She noticed. Chad shrugged it off immediately.

"You're crazy, girl." He immediately focused his attention on the homework. Ronnie thought Chad was great; the greatest friend she had ever had, other than the Camdens, but they her family now. Chad was so much fun to hang out with. They did so much together. He always went to her basketball games and she always hung out with him at the Promenade. The only thing she noticed that was strange was how mysterious he was. He seemed to keep a lot of secrets, and hide stuff from her, but she never pushed him. He knew if he ever needed somebody to talk to, he could talk to Ronnie.

Ronnie told Chad everything. He knew all about her past and how she was nearly killed and how she was adopted by the Camdens. She felt so connected to Chad, even though they seemed so different. Ronnie had a strong faith in God, Chad had never stepped foot in a church. Ronnie was interested in books and art, Chad was interested in science and music. Ronnie lived in a house with 9 other people, Chad only lived with his father. Chad never talked about his father, Ronnie noticed. It made her remember her own parents and how she had never talked about them either.

"Ronnie, did you understand question six?" Chad asked as he opened an empty page. Ronnie puckered her brow.

"Chad, your page is empty. Didn't you do the homework?" She asked. Chad got quiet fast as he seemed to be considering her question nervously.

"Well, yeah, I just didn't get a chance. Too much was happening." He said as he wrote the date at the top of his page.

"Like what?" She asked suspiciously.

"Not important." He replied, avoiding eye contact. Ronnie sighed but opened her textbook, ready to help her friend.

* * *

The bell rang after fourth period and Chad grabbed his backpack and said bye to Ronnie quickly, running out of the classroom. _He always leaves so quickly._ She noticed as she gathered her own belongings. She noticed a yellow binder sitting on Chad's desk. She laughed to herself. _He'd forget his head if it wasn't screwed on._ She picked it up and headed out to the front of the school where Lucy and Simon were waiting for Annie, who was picking them up after school.

"Hey Ronnie, how was school?" Lucy asked as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Ronnie shrugged.

"Okay I guess." She replied.

"Whose binder is that?" Simon asked, not recognizing it.

"It's Chad's, he forgot it. He's going to need it though; it's got his assignment in it that's due tomorrow." Ronnie replied. "Can you guys tell Annie that I'll be home a bit later? I'm going to walk over to Chad's house and drop it off."

"Do you even know where he lives?" Simon asked doubtfully.

"Of course I do; he's my best friend." Ronnie replied defensively.

"Okay, okay, it's just I don't remember you ever going over to his house." Simon pointed out. Ronnie knew Simon was right. Chad had never invited her over to his house; usually they hung out at her house, or at the Promenade or the pool hall.

"I haven't, but he's told me where he lives. It's not far from here. I'll be home by 4:00p.m." Ronnie explained.

"I don't think mom's going to be too happy, especially if you've got an assignment due tomorrow." Lucy said disapprovingly. Ronnie rolled her eyes.

"Look my assignment is done and I'll run. She won't mind. I'll see you guys later." Ronnie ran off, leaving Simon and Lucy behind to wait for their mother.

* * *

Ronnie turned left onto Krad Street, which she knew Chad lived on. She had never been here before and she immediately felt chills run down her spine as she gazed around and was frightened by the similarity between this neighbourhood and her old neighbourhood where she grew up with her mom and dad. There were rundown houses with dirt instead of grass for a front lawn, with broken windows and doors. A strange smell filled the street; Ronnie guessed it was the smell of garbage. _There was garbage everywhere on Oakdale Drive too._ Ronnie thought, remembering her old neighbourhood. She tried not to think about those days as she approached number 63, which she almost missed because the 3 had fallen off the door. She knocked on the door and could hear a lot of noise on the other side of the door, but it was muffled. Ronnie knocked again. She waited until she finally heard footsteps approaching. The heavy green door was pulled open. Chad peeked around the door and puckered his brow.

"What are you doing here?" He whispered. It was Ronnie's turn to be confused.

"Why are you whispering?" She asked. Chad sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Not important. Seriously though, why are you here?" He asked. Ronnie felt like something strange was going on; Chad was acting strangely.

"Chad are you mad at me or something?" She asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"No, of course not, I… Alright I'm sorry Ron. I didn't mean to freak out; I just didn't expect you, that's all." He replied, turning back to look into the house every now and then.

"I know, but you left your binder at school. I figured you might need it since the history assignment is due tomorrow. I know you haven't finished it yet." Ronnie smiled, feeling like she knew Chad too well. Chad smiled nervously.

"Oh yeah, that's me, always forgetful." He said.

"Listen if you need help with it, give me a call. You can even come over if you want. I'm sure Eric and Annie wouldn't mind. I'd have to ask, but I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem." Ronnie said as she handed the binder over to Chad through the door.

"Thanks, I might take you up on that." He said with a slight grin.

"Take you up on what?" A rough voice asked behind Chad. Chad closed his eyes as a tall, overbearing figure appeared in the doorway next to Chad. He was rough-looking; with torn jeans and a baggy T-shirt. His hair looked like it had never been brushed and his teeth were yellowish. In his hand, he was holding a bottle of beer, which he tapped against his thigh rhythmically.

"Nothing dad, I was just talking." Chad said quietly. His voice seemed to change, as though he acted differently around his father than he did with Ronnie.

"Well isn't that just _lovely_?" Chad's father, Luke, said sarcastically as he cocked his head back and forth. His words ran together and were slurred slightly, sometimes difficult to understand. Ronnie could smell an overwhelming amount of alcohol coming from this man. _Just like dad._

"So are you gonna introduce me to your girlfriend or what?" Luke swayed a bit as he spoke, laughing a little at a joke nobody caught.

"She's not my girlfriend dad, she's my friend." Chad explained and Ronnie held back a smile. The two got that question a lot at school. Even Mary and Lucy were curious a couple of times.

"Sure, sure, whatever. So what's yer name girlie?" Luke asked as he paused to look at her, up and down. Ronnie immediately felt uncomfortable. He took a deep breath in and made a strange grunting sound. Ronnie tried to ignore his eyes moving along her body.

"I'm Ronnie." She said quietly. Luke smiled strangely and his eyes never met hers. They were still focused elsewhere.

"Well, well, _R-R-R_avishing _R-R-R_onnie." He rolled his R's as he spoke. "Aren't you just about the prettiest thing I ever did see?" Ronnie wanted to go home.

"I'll call you later Ronnie." Chad shrugged apologetically as Ronnie began to back away from the door.

"Well now that's if I decide to let you use the phone, punk." Luke said as Chad tried to close the door, but Luke held it open, watching Ronnie walk down the street.

"_R-R-R_avishing _R-R-R_onnie." He slurred quietly as he turned back to Chad. "Now, where were we?"

* * *

"I'm sorry Annie." Ronnie apologized. She had only walked through the front door a few minutes earlier and Annie had already approached her, a little upset.

"Ronnie, it was nice of you to return the binder to your friend, but I could have driven you. I don't like you going to those parts of the neighbourhood. They're dangerous." Annie had said.

"But I grew up in that kind of neighbourhood. They don't feel dangerous to me." Ronnie tried to argue, but Annie wouldn't hear of it.

"Sweetie, I know you don't think they are, but they are. I'm a parent, I know these things. Next time you want to go to Chad's house, I will drive you, or Eric will. But I don't want you going there alone again, understand?" Annie wasn't angry, just worried. Ronnie had her head down.

"I'm sorry Annie." She apologized.

"You're not in trouble; I'm just telling you why I don't want you to go there." Annie said. Ronnie felt a chill run down her spine as she could hear Luke's slurred words. _R-R-Ravishing R-R-Ronnie._

"Are you alright honey?" Annie asked. Ronnie nodded. _He was probably just drunk. Dad used to say stupid things too._

"Well you should probably get started on your homework. Matt's coming over for dinner tonight, so dinner will be around 6:00p.m. okay?" Annie said as she opened the refrigerator. Ronnie nodded.

"Is it okay if Chad comes over later? I don't know for sure if he will but he might need some help with his history assignment." She said.

"What about your history assignment?" Annie asked.

"It's finished."

"That's fine then. Remember, visitors only until 9:00p.m. on a school night."

"I know." Ronnie ran upstairs to her bedroom, plopping her stuff down on her bed. She couldn't stop thinking about Chad's father. _R-R-Ravishing R-R-Ronnie._ She closed her eyes. _Stop thinking about it._ It had frightened her, the way he had looked at her, but she dismissed it, blaming it on the alcohol.

"Hey sis." Ronnie looked up and Mary was standing in the doorway.

"Hi Mary." Ronnie said with a smile. "You scared me. I didn't know you were standing there."

"Sorry. The phone's for you." Mary walked in and handed the cordless phone to Ronnie, who puckered her brow.

"I didn't hear the phone ring." She pointed out.

"Yeah I'm on the other line with Wilson, so make it quick okay?" Mary sounded impatient. Ronnie rolled her eyes and took the phone. Wilson was a friend of Mary's who everybody knew she had feelings for, but she would never admit it.

"Hello?" Ronnie answered. Mary made herself comfortable on Ronnie's bed, waiting for the phone.

"Hey Ron, it's Chad." Chad said on the other line.

"Oh hi Chad, what's up?" Ronnie asked. Mary raised an eyebrow and grinned at Ronnie, who threw a pillow at her.

"I'm sorry about my dad, he does that with everybody." Chad sounded really sorry.

"It's not your fault, you shouldn't apologize. Is…your dad…does he…I mean does he drink?" Ronnie felt guilty asking, but Chad answered right away, not even considering her question.

"No, he doesn't! I mean…occasionally he does, but who doesn't, right?" He responded, his tone rising a bit.

"I guess. It's just, he seemed like maybe he was, I don't know, drunk." Ronnie didn't want to assume things that weren't true, but wanted to be sure.

"He might have been, a little bit, but it's not like he's out of control."

"Would you tell me if he was?" Ronnie had asked the question without even thinking about it. She felt worried. _It's probably just paranoia. _She figured she was just remembering too much about her own parents.

"What are you talking about Ronnie? My dad's fine and so am I. Why would you think any differently?" Chad asked, a little defensively.

"I don't know, I'm sorry. I just want you to know you can talk to me. You're my best friend, that's all." Ronnie replied, tugging on her hair. It was a strange quirk she had acquired whenever she became nervous about things.

"I know Ron, you're mine too. Anyways, I gotta go." Chad said, as his voice seemed to break.

"You okay?" Ronnie asked.

"Yeah, I just have to start my homework."

"Are you coming tonight?"

"No, I can't."

"Alright." Ronnie could tell Chad was in a rush. "Then I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Bye." Chad hung up before Ronnie even had a chance to say goodbye. She puckered her brow and handed the phone to Mary as she opened up her math textbook. Mary took the phone and linked back to the other line, but Wilson had already hung up.

"Hung up." Mary said as she put the phone down.

"Sorry." Ronnie replied, a little distractedly, playing with her hair again. Mary noticed.

"Everything okay?" She asked, sitting down on her bed again. Ronnie looked up.

"What makes you think there's something wrong?" She wondered.

"The hair thing." Mary admitted. Ronnie had to smile. _They know me too well._

"I'm fine." Ronnie said. _I am fine. He was just a little drunk, no big deal. Chad's fine and so am I. It just scared me a little. No use making a big deal about it._

"Ronnie? Are you sure?" Mary asked again. Ronnie nodded.

"Of course I'm sure." She replied with a smile. As Mary left the room, Ronnie pushed the memory from her mind, not allowing herself to think about it anymore. _It's not like I'll ever see him again. Chad never invites me over._ She began to do her math homework.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three!**

Ronnie walked with Simon through the crowded school hallway the next morning. Simon's homeroom was conveniently right next door to Ronnie's, so the two usually made their way to class together. Simon had wanted to ask Ronnie a question all morning, but wasn't sure if he should. He didn't want to assume things that may not even be true, and he especially didn't want to upset Ronnie in any way.

Ronnie caught Simon's gaze shifting over to look at her every few seconds as they approached their classrooms. Ronnie stopped in the middle of the hallway and stared hard at her adoptive brother.

"Are you going to tell me why you keep staring at me, or are you going to keep giving me the creeps?" She asked, crossing her arms. Simon laughed nervously.

"Sorry." He said simply. Ronnie raised an eyebrow, waiting for Simon to say something; anything. Simon sighed.

"Look, I just noticed you seemed weird at dinner last night. Distracted. Matt noticed it too. He asked me if you were okay so-"

"So Matt _told_ you to ask me if I was okay." Ronnie assumed, knowing Matt was sometimes sneaky like that. Simon shook his head quickly.

"No! Well, I mean he did ask me to make sure, but hey, I wanted to make sure too." He replied. Ronnie shook her head with a giggle.

"So this is what brothers do for their sisters?" She asked. Simon shrugged.

"So, are you okay?" He asked again, shuffling his feet. Ronnie remembered meeting Chad's father and how uncomfortable it had felt, but Ronnie had refused to allow herself to think about it anymore. It was over now.

"I'm okay Simon. I was just thinking about some stuff." Ronnie said as she clutched her binder tightly.

"Like what?" Simon asked. Ronnie rolled her eyes.

"Simon Camden, you are so nosy." She said with a laugh.

"I just want to make sure you're okay." Simon admitted seriously. Ronnie smiled.

"Thanks Simon. I'm okay. I'll let you know if that changes." She turned to her classroom. "I'll see you after school."

* * *

Chad Delano arrived late for homeroom, running through the classroom door quickly, almost tripping over his own feet. 

"Chad, I hope you have a late slip." Ms. Frente said as she put her hands on her hips. Chad reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper, handing it over to his teacher. He panted as he made his way to his desk. He sat down and stared straight ahead, avoiding Ronnie's eyes. Ronnie couldn't take her eyes off him, because on his left cheek was a puffy, purple bruise the size of a baseball!

"Chad." Ronnie whispered. Chad closed his eyes and pretended he didn't hear her.

"Chad." Ronnie said again, a little louder.

"Veronica, that's enough! I'd like to start the lesson now." Ms. Frente snapped as she stared hard at Ronnie. Ronnie sunk back in her seat and didn't say a word. She could only stare at her best friend, desperate for answers, for the rest of the period.

* * *

"Chad, wait up. Chad!" Ronnie chased her best friend out of the classroom at the end of the period. He had left the room without a word, and without waiting for Ronnie like he usually did.

"Chad stop!" Ronnie put her hand on Chad's shoulder as she finally caught up with him. Chad stopped and hesitated for a moment before he turned around to face his friend.

"Chad what is going on with you?" Ronnie asked with sad eyes. "Why are you trying to stay away from me?" Chad rolled his eyes and turned his face.

"I knew you'd ask questions." He said coldly.

"I'm supposed to ask questions, Chad, I'm your best friend. At least, that's what I thought." Ronnie replied sadly. Chad immediately felt guilty as he looked into the misty eyes of Ronnie, who was always so emotional.

"Don't cry Ron, of course I'm your best friend." Chad said, sounding like himself again. Ronnie looked at him with crossed arms.

"What's with the bruise?" She asked, as if she hadn't heard him.

"It's nothing Ron; it's just a bruise." Chad said, turning to leave.

"It's not nothing Chad!" Ronnie screamed loudly to his back. The passing crowd in the hallway stopped and so many eyes were staring at her. Chad turned and stared hard at her, obviously shocked by her outburst. She was always so quiet; never wanting to draw too much attention to herself. Ronnie felt her face feel hot as she looked at all the people staring. She saw Lucy's face in the crowd; she had that familiar look of worry. Ronnie sighed and grabbed Chad's arm, pulling him away from the crowd. She pulled him over to her locker.

"What happened?" Ronnie whispered once they were out of earshot from the rest of the crowd. Chad sighed.

"I told you it's nothing Ron." He said as he averted his gaze. Ronnie was getting frustrated, and upset as memories of her own past came to her, causing her to remember all the lies she had to tell about her bruises.

"Chad, you know I was abused growing up. I know what it's like, and you can't tell me that bruise was accidental. It looks like somebody…punched you." She said, hoping Chad wouldn't get angry or upset.

"Ronnie…"

"Did your dad do it?"

"Ronnie, don't."

"Did your dad do it?" Ronnie raised her voice slightly above her whisper. Chad was quiet, as he stared into Ronnie's inquisitive, caring eyes. Ronnie saw pain in his eyes, almost hidden, but there.

"Chad, you can tell me. Does your dad hit you?" Ronnie asked quietly. Chad hesitated as he looked at his best friend. He saw that she genuinely cared for him, and wanted him to trust her.

"Look Ronnie, you can't tell anyone, okay? Anyone!" Chad hissed in a low whisper; fear was written all over his face. A look she was all too familiar with. Ronnie could feel her heart beating faster, as she shook her head disbelievingly.

"Are you telling me your father hits you?" She asked again, as though she needed to be sure. Chad sighed and was acting nervously, as he continuously shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah, but look, I make him mad. It's my problem, so I have to deal with it." He said as he never looked Ronnie in the eye. Ronnie felt his pain so intimately, it hurt her.

"Chad, what he's doing is wrong." Ronnie said, feeling tears in her eyes as she remembered all the horrible things her parents did to her.

"Don't get upset Ron. I'll be fine. Listen you cannot tell anyone."

"But Chad, maybe-"

"Promise me Ronnie." Chad put his hands on Ronnie's shoulders and stared hard at her with desperate blue eyes. Ronnie didn't know what to say.

"You care about me, don't you Ron?" Chad asked. Ronnie felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"With my whole heart." She answered simply.

"Then promise me, this stays between us." Chad waited and finally Ronnie nodded, without thinking. She regretted it immediately as Chad breathed a sigh of relief, hugging her tightly.

"Thanks Ron, you're the best." He checked his watch. "We'd better get to class before we're late. I don't want to be late twice." Chad left Ronnie standing there with tears in her eyes as she watched him walking down the hall. She sighed to herself. _What have I done?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four!**

Ronnie stared out the car window on the drive home. She was sitting in the backseat with Lucy as Annie was asking Simon about his day. Ronnie didn't want to turn around; she could feel Lucy staring at her, ready to ask about her outburst earlier at school. Ronnie was grateful Lucy wasn't asking her, with Annie and Simon in the car. Lucy always seemed to know to wait until they were alone to discuss serious matters; Ronnie respected that but didn't want to be asked all the same.

Annie pulled into their driveway and headed into the house with Simon following behind. Ronnie started to follow them too, but Lucy took her arm and held her back.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on?" Lucy asked as she raised her eyebrows. Ronnie casually shrugged.

"What are you talking about Lucy?" She asked, playing dumb. Lucy shook her head.

"I know you saw me when you screamed at Chad." She said. Ronnie was stuck; she had tried to get out of it, but Lucy was too smart.

"It wasn't a big deal Luce. It was just a fight. Friends fight sometimes." Ronnie said, hating that she was lying to her sister but not wanting to break a promise to Chad. Lucy crossed her arms, unsure.

"Ronnie," She said, disbelievingly.

"I'm going to do my homework in the backyard, in case Annie wonders." Ronnie walked away, wanting to avoid the subject as much as possible. Lucy watched, shaking her head. _Something's up with her. It's always easy to tell with Ronnie._ Lucy thought as she decided to let Ronnie be and trust that she would talk to someone if it ever became serious.

* * *

Mary came flying down the stairs an hour later, opening the refrigerator for a snack. She turned and saw Ruthie sitting at the table, doing her homework, still dressed in her school uniform.

"Hey Ruthie, how was your day?" Mary asked as she bit into an apple. Ruthie rolled her eyes with her usual attitude.

"Better than Ronnie's." She replied, getting ready to gossip. Mary puckered her brow.

"How would you know?" Mary asked suspiciously. Ruthie perked up, turning around in her chair.

"I heard Lucy talking to Simon." She said proudly.

"Ruthie! You shouldn't listen to other people's conversations." Mary said sternly.

"Why not, it's not like anyone tells me anything. How am I supposed to know what's going on unless I find my own way of figuring it out?" Ruthie said with her innocent eyes. Mary had to smile.

"Well, it's still wrong. So what's wrong with Ronnie?" Mary asked. Ruthie shrugged.

"I don't know. All I heard was Ronnie screamed in school today and then lied to Lucy. Lucy told Simon that Ronnie's not a very good liar." She said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that." Mary said as she headed toward the back door. Ruthie got back to her homework as Mary went into the backyard. Ronnie's schoolbooks were spread out on the picnic table but Ronnie was by the basketball net, shooting hoops.

"Your lay-up is getting much better." Mary complimented. Ronnie turned, surprised. She hadn't known anybody had been watching her.

"Thanks. The coach says I need to work on it some more. I think she's just picking on me 'cause I'm the shortest one on the team." Ronnie tossed the ball and made a clean basket. Mary caught the ball and held on to it for a minute.

"So what happened at school today?" She asked after a moment's hesitation. Ronnie stopped and peered over at Mary with wide eyes.

"How did you know about that?" She asked quietly. Mary smiled a little.

"You should know by now that once Ruthie finds out about something, everybody finds out." She explained. Ronnie didn't laugh.

"Well, how did she find out?" She asked, her voice raising a bit.

"She was eavesdropping on Lucy and Simon."

"Great! So Lucy thinks she can just tell everyone about my life?" Ronnie yelled, surprising Mary, who dropped the ball. It rolled toward Ronnie, who picked it up and turned from Mary as she tried to hide the bitter tears forming in her eyes. She wasn't angry at Lucy, she was angry with herself. _How could I make a promise like that? What kind of a friend am I? I can't break a promise to my best friend, but I don't want to see him in a situation like mine was. But maybe it's not as bad. Maybe it's not life and death, but how do I know? I could never forgive myself if…_

"Ronnie? What's the matter?" Mary asked; she could hear Ronnie's sniffling. Ronnie wiped her misty eyes with the back of her sleeve.

"Nothing." Ronnie lied as she dropped the ball and walked over to the picnic table, sitting down to do her homework, hoping Mary would get the point and leave, but Mary didn't. She sat herself down right beside Ronnie, pulling her math textbook away from Ronnie.

"You know I'm not stupid Ronnie. I know there's something going on. You're not very good at hiding your emotions." Mary said. Ronnie just stared at Mary, wanting so desperately to tell her.

"I can't tell you Mary." She said almost in a whisper as her voice cracked. Mary puckered her brow, as she knew that something was seriously wrong. Ronnie had come a long way in dealing with her emotions in her time spent with the Camdens. She was very good at expressing her feelings by talking to the members of her family, so Mary knew it was serious when Ronnie admitted she could not talk about it.

"Ronnie, what's going on?" Mary asked, growing very serious. Ronnie's eyes remained locked on Mary's for a moment, as if considering sharing what was really going on, but she turned her face away.

"Are you in trouble?" Mary asked. Ronnie shook her head. She was silent for a moment before she turned to Mary.

"Mary, if somebody made you make a promise, but the secret they wanted you to keep was really important, and you should probably tell somebody, would you break a promise to help them?" She asked, as she began to nervously play with her hair.

"Does this have anything to do with Chad?" Mary asked.

"Would you break a promise to help somebody?" Ronnie asked again, ignoring Mary's question.

"It depends, I guess. If I thought, or knew they were in trouble in any way, yes, I would tell somebody that could help." Mary replied. Ronnie sighed and hung her head.

"Even if they might never talk to you again?" She asked.

"If it meant their safety, yeah." Mary replied. Ronnie grasped her head with her two hands, feeling torn. It was silent for a moment, before Mary spoke up again.

"If someone you know is in trouble, maybe you should talk to dad. He's good with that kind of thing." Mary was talking from experience. She stood up and walked back into the house, leaving Ronnie to try to make a decision about what to do next.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five!**

Eric Camden was sitting at his desk, diligently working on this week's sermon. He looked at his computer screen and stared at the title; the only words on the screen so far. _Pastor's block, _he thought as he leafed through his Bible passage once again, looking for another catching introduction to his sermon. He stretched his arms out in front of him and stifled a yawn. In the corner of his eye, he saw somebody standing in the entrance of his office. Eric turned and saw Ronnie standing there with her hands shyly behind her back. Eric could tell something was wrong.

"Hi Ronnie." Eric greeted as he removed his glasses.

"Hi Eric. Um, are you busy?" Ronnie asked. _She seems nervous_, Eric thought.

"I'm just writing my sermon." Eric replied. Ronnie nodded.

"Okay." She said quietly as she turned to leave.

"Woah, woah, Ronnie, I can take a break." Eric called as Ronnie appeared again in the doorway. "What's going on?" Ronnie shyly walked into the office.

"I don't even know if I should be doing this." She admitted as she tugged at her hair.

"Please sit down Ronnie." Ronnie sat. "Why don't you think you should be doing this?" Eric asked. Ronnie sighed as she crossed her legs.

"I made a promise that I wouldn't tell anyone." She confessed as she tapped her thumbs together. Eric puckered his brow.

"Is it important?" He asked.

Ronnie nodded.

"Do you think somebody's in trouble?" Eric asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe."

"Do you think you should tell someone?"

"Yes, but if I do, Chad may not want to be my friend anymore. I don't want to lose him as a friend." Eric could see that Ronnie's eyes were moistening.

"So, this has to do with Chad." Eric said as Ronnie nodded. Eric knew how close she was to her friend Chad. Chad was almost always over at their house, or the two of them would hang out at the Promenade. Eric could see the two were inseparable.

"Ronnie, if you think Chad's in trouble, you should tell somebody so we can help him." He explained as he leaned forward. Ronnie showed no sign of response; she only looked at the floor, as if deep in thought.

"It's…it's Chad's father. He…he…" She couldn't seem to get the words out, but Eric had a lot of experience, and he already had an idea as to what Ronnie was trying to say.

"Does Chad's father beat him, Ronnie?" He asked. Ronnie started to cry as she nodded. This was so hard for her; not only was her best friend in trouble, but Ronnie was having a difficult time remembering her past and all the horrible things her parents did to her. She just prayed to God that Chad wasn't getting it as bad as she once had.

"Okay Ronnie, you need to tell me everything you know about this. It's very important that I have all the details." Eric said seriously. Ronnie grasped the end of her long brown hair and began to explain.

"He always acts weird, like so secretive and he never wants me to go to his house. He's always here instead. Whenever I bring that up, he changes the subject. And today…today he came to school with a big bruise. I…I knew it wasn't an accident. I mean…I know all about…" Ronnie couldn't finish her sentence as she could feel herself choking up. Eric knew how hard this must be for Ronnie, who was such a caring individual who loved everyone and didn't want to see anyone in pain, but she was still having a very difficult time dealing with her past.

Eric sighed.

"Did Chad tell you about this?" He asked. Ronnie nodded, as she swallowed hard.

"He wouldn't at first. He kept trying to avoid me; I think he knew that I would know. I followed him out of class and yelled at him to talk to me. Finally, I asked him if his dad did it, and he said yes. But then he made me promise not to tell anyone. He thinks it's his fault." She said, feeling nothing but anger toward Chad's father, and toward her own father as well.

"Ronnie, have you ever met Chad's father?" Eric asked, after a moment of thought. Ronnie felt chills run down her spine as she remembered back to the previous day. _R-R-Ravishing R-R-Ronnie._ She shuddered.

"Yeah, I met him yesterday. Didn't Annie tell you why I was late coming home? I went over to Chad's house to return his binder and Chad's father was there." She explained.

"Annie mentioned it to me. What was your impression of Chad's dad?" Eric asked, skipping the lecture on staying away from bad neighbourhoods.

"He reminded me…he reminded me of my dad. He had a beer in his hand and he was acting really strangely. It was just like my dad when he was drunk, even when he wasn't." Ronnie said, failing to mention the part where Luke Delano couldn't keep his wandering eyes off of her.

Eric stared at Ronnie for a moment and she stared back with those frail brown eyes. Eric could see the pain behind them; the pain that she was having such a hard time dealing with as it was, and now she was seeing her best friend going through the same thing. Eric wouldn't stand for it; not again. He still couldn't get the image of Ronnie's bloodied body lying behind the couch at her old house, with a hot gun nearby. She had almost died, and would have if Eric hadn't of shown up when he did. Eric wasn't going to sit around and wait for Chad's father to do the same thing to Chad.

He reached for his telephone.

"What are you doing?" Ronnie asked quickly, wide-eyed with tears falling from them. Eric looked up from the phone.

"I'm calling child services Ronnie." He said simply, almost in an angry voice. Ronnie shook her head vigorously as she stood up.

"No you can't! I promised I wouldn't tell anyone. He's my best friend; I don't want to lose him!" She yelled. She was crying more now as she stared at Eric desperately. Eric stared at her sympathetically.

"Ronnie I understand where you're coming from, but think about Chad. He's being hurt and I know you don't like to think about it, but you know exactly what he's going through. If you have a chance to help him, won't you take it? You don't want Chad to be hurt anymore, do you? We have to get him out of there so he can be safe, just like you are now. Don't you want that for Chad?" He asked, as he held the phone in his hand. Ronnie closed her eyes and couldn't stop crying. She couldn't answer the question, not out loud, but she knew what had to be done. She knew she could lose Chad's friendship and his trust, but she did want him to be happy, but the memories of her past and the thought of losing her best friend overwhelmed her in the moment, and she fell to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Annie had heard the yelling and the crying and she had come running. She came into the office and saw the poor young girl crumpled on the ground, crying into her hands. Annie ran to her side, falling down on the ground next to her.

"Sweetheart, what's the matter?" She asked, quite shocked, as she hadn't heard any of their conversation. Ronnie couldn't answer; she was crying too much. Annie took the crying girl into her arms and held her tightly, cradling her as Ronnie cried. Annie looked at Eric desperately, who had already dialed the number.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six!**

Eric Camden turned the corner onto Krad Street. Behind him were two other cars, following him. In one car was Officer Matthews, a local cop who was a good friend of the Camdens and in the other car was Alice, a social worker from child services whom Eric had met from the whole process of adopting Ronnie.

Eric had spent about half an hour on the phone, making arrangements and now, they were on their way to remove Chad from the dangerous situation.

Ronnie had wanted to come, to try and explain to Chad how sorry she was, but Annie and Eric both thought it would be better if Ronnie stayed home.

"Chad's father will get very angry Ronnie. I don't think you need to see that." Annie had said. Ronnie had gotten angry and had stormed off to her bedroom.

Eric knew she wasn't angry at them, she was just upset and worried about Chad.

Eric pulled alongside the rundown old house that Chad lived in, and Eric was immediately reminded of Ronnie's old house and the horror he had found there.

"Okay, you ready?" Officer Matthews said when he, Eric and Alice were standing outside the screen door. Eric sighed.

"This is never easy." He commented as he knocked on the door.

Chad was the one who answered the door. He looked at Officer Matthews and Alice unsurely, and stared at Eric.

"Reverend Camden, what are you doing here?" Chad asked in a low whisper. Eric sighed as he looked into the innocent eyes of the abused boy; the eyes that reminded him so much of Ronnie's

"Chad, we need to speak with your dad." Officer Matthews explained. Chad's eyes widened as he heard heavy footsteps behind him, approaching quickly.

"Who is it?" Luke Delano slurred as he pushed Chad aside roughly to see three unfamiliar figures staring at him.

"Who the hell are all of you?" Luke asked. Officer Matthews took the initiative to step forward.

"Mr. Delano, we've come to place your son under the care of social services." He explained. Chad's eyes widened again as his dad stepped out onto the porch.

"Excuse me? I'm sorry but nobody is taking my son anywhere!" Luke yelled.

"Mr. Delano, we know what you're doing to your son. It's child abuse, and it's illegal. We're taking your son away from you where he'll be safe." Eric explained, leaving Ronnie's name out of it. He wasn't about to offer anything about how they came across this information. But it was no use; Chad didn't have the same idea.

"Ronnie told you, didn't she Reverend? I told her not to tell anybody!" He yelled. Luke turned quickly to stare at his son.

"You told that girlfriend of yours? I told you that if you ever tell anyone…"

"Dad, I only told Ronnie, no one else, I swear!" Chad said defensively as he recoiled back. Eric closed his eyes. Now Luke knew that Ronnie had been the one to tell Eric and that was why they were all together now. Eric prayed that Luke would forget.

"Chad, will you please come with me?" Alice said gently. Chad looked nervously from Alice to his dad, not knowing what to do. Luke glared down at his boy.

"Don't move!" He snapped. Chad remained rooted to the ground.

"Mr. Delano, we're taking Chad into the custody of social services where he will be placed in a foster home until such time as a possibility of adoption comes up." Alice explained with fierce eyes.

"And you are being charged with child abuse. Don't make this hard on yourself, Mr. Delano, or on your son. We don't want to have to take him by force." Officer Matthews added. Luke glared at the three of them and then down at Chad, who wouldn't return his gaze.

"You'll be sorry. You can take him all you want, but I'll get him back. Mark my words." Luke said in a quiet, but deep voice.

"Come on Chad." Alice said again. Chad hesitated, afraid and confused.

"It's alright Chad, everything's okay now." Eric said quietly, trying to help Chad feel more comfortable. Chad finally took one step forward, and when he didn't hear his father say anything, he finally stepped outside. Eric put his arm around the boy and began to walk him down the steps toward Alice's car.

"Don't get too comfy, Chad m'boy. I'll be seeing you real soon." Luke called confidently. Eric could see the color draining from Chad's face.

"He's wrong Chad. You're safe now." Eric said, recalling the familiarity of these words. _It's okay Ronnie, you're safe now._ Eric could still see the pain and confusion in the young girl's eyes as she lied helpless in a hospital bed.

Chad looked up at Eric as they walked.

"Ronnie told you, didn't she?" Chad asked, as his voice cracked. Eric could tell Chad was nervous, not knowing where he was going or what was happening.

"Yes Chad; she cracked." Eric said, trying to shed some light on the situation. "She was worried about you. She was afraid you'd be mad at her, but Chad, I'm really glad she told me. You're better off safe than with your father." Chad didn't respond; he only stuffed his hands into his pockets, as Alice opened the car door for him. Chad took one last look at his house and then at Eric before he sank into the car. Alice shut the door and gave Eric a small smile.

"Tell Ronnie she did a good thing." She said. Eric sighed.

"Right now she doesn't feel like she did, but I'm sure she will one day." He replied. Alice smiled and gave a little wave to Eric as she got into the car with Chad. Eric watched them drive away, and he turned to see Officer Matthews talking to Luke Delano. He shook his head to himself as he walked to his car. In the faint background, he could hear Luke screaming.

"You'll be sorry! I'll get my kid back! Just wait!" Eric didn't bother turning around; he knew Luke was screaming at him.


	7. Chapter 7

Ronnie sat cross-legged on her bed the next morning, not having moved since Eric had come home the night before to tell her Chad was with social services now. Ronnie had wanted so badly to call Chad, but Eric didn't know where exactly he had been taken and maybe it would be better to let Chad contact her, when he felt ready.

Ronnie was devastated and could not bring herself to lie down, or even change into her pyjamas. She couldn't imagine going back to school and not seeing Chad anymore. She couldn't imagine not being able to hang out with her best friend anymore. She felt like she had lost him forever. She knew Chad would be safe now, but a part of her selfishly wanted Chad to stay in Glen Oaks forever.

Lucy and Mary had come the night before to try to talk to Ronnie, but it had been no use. Ronnie hadn't felt like talking at all, despite her sisters efforts.

Now as the sun shone through her bedroom window, mocking her, Ronnie heard the familiar busy bustle outside her door. Schooldays were always busy mornings, as four of the Camden kids were getting ready for school. With the exception of this morning; Ronnie didn't want to go to school.

"Ronnie, come on!" She heard Lucy shout as she rapped on the door. Ronnie sighed and she wrapped her arms around her knees. _Leave me alone._ She thought. She didn't even want to face her family, the most supportive people in her life. She especially didn't want to face the questions she would be asked at school.

"Where's Chad?" They would ask. Ronnie felt no desire to confront it. Not today.

A knock on her door made Ronnie jump a little not long afterwards. Ronnie turned her head away as there was a pause. She thought whoever had knocked had gone away, but the doorknob turned and in walked Annie. She observed Ronnie and noticed she was wearing the same clothes she had on the day before.

"Ronnie," Annie said quietly as she shut the door behind her. "Have you even slept?" Ronnie didn't answer, but Annie knew she hadn't. There were dark circles under Ronnie's dark brown eyes and her bed was still made.

"Honey, you can't do this to yourself. You need to get your rest, you know." Annie pulled out Ronnie's blue backpack from underneath her dresser. "And you have to go to school."

"I don't want to." Ronnie mumbled as she tried to hide a tear. Annie turned and looked at the depressed girl and she went to sit on the bed beside Ronnie. She wrapped her arms around her and stroked her hair gently.

"I know you're hurting sweetie. I know it's hard to see your best friend go, but you did the right thing; you really did. Now Chad doesn't have to worry about getting hit whenever he does or doesn't do something wrong. He doesn't have to live in fear anymore. He can start to enjoy life – don't you want that for Chad?" Annie asked. Ronnie sniffled and nodded.

"Yeah I do." She managed to say. "I just don't want to lose him as a friend."

"You don't have to. Just because Chad may not stay in Glen Oaks, that doesn't mean you can't be friends. You can visit each other and write to each other and email each other. Besides, you don't even know if he's leaving Glen Oaks. We just have to be patient for him to give you a call and let you know what's going on. He will, you know. You're his best friend." Annie explained. Ronnie broke away from Annie's embrace and shook her head doubtfully.

"No, he won't. He's mad at me, I know it. I broke a promise to him. I've never broken a promise to him; he's my best friend. Annie he was so scared that I would tell somebody; he begged me not to, and I did." She said with misty eyes as her eyes shifted to the frame beside her bed, concealing a photograph of Chad and Ronnie sitting on her front steps.

"Honey, Chad may feel a little confused right now, but soon, he'll realize you did the right thing, and I hope you'll realize it as well. Think of what could have happened if Chad stayed with his dad. I know you don't like to think about it, but you know exactly what he was going through, don't you? You knew in your heart that even if you might lose him as a friend, you knew you had to do something to help him. You have a very good heart Ronnie. You were able to look past yourself to help others. You took a big risk, but you did it for your friend. Chad will see this over time, and he'll realize that what you did was more loving and caring that keeping a promise. Trust me sweetie, you and Chad will continue to be friends; just give him some time. He won't forget how much he cares about you. Just be patient." Annie said as she kept her arm around Ronnie, whose tear-streaked face grew pink. Ronnie sighed, not sure she honestly believed Annie, but nodded all the same. Annie smiled slightly and hugged Ronnie once more.

"Now come on, I meant it when I said you had to go to school. Besides, you have basketball practice after school tonight. You don't want to miss that, not with championships coming up." She said as she stood to leave. With a wink, she closed Ronnie's bedroom door behind her. Ronnie sighed and leaned back against her pillow, wiping away the last of her tears. She looked down at the green bracelet Chad had attempted to make her a few months ago. She smiled as she remembered the day he gave it to her.

"I suck at making these. A friend of mine tried to teach me years ago at summer camp, but I've never really mastered it. Anyway, I thought you'd like to have one. It's a friendship bracelet. I spent a long time on it, so you'd better appreciate it Ron. I'd only give something like this to my best friend." He had said as he handed it over to Ronnie. Ronnie had absolutely loved it, and had sported it every day since, always thanking God for the wonderful friend she had made in Chad.

She sighed as she got dressed for school, trying hard to stay strong and hopeful for the friendship that had meant so much to her over the last few months. She said a little prayer as she threw her basketball clothes into her backpack that Chad was safe, wherever he was.

* * *

Ronnie sat in the front seat of the family's station wagon, waiting for Eric, Simon and Lucy. Ronnie was surprised she had been the first to get ready for school, despite the fact she was so late getting ready. She had skipped breakfast though, not feeling hungry. She tried to argue against bringing Annie's bagged lunch, positive she would not be any hungrier at lunch, but Annie gave her that look that was not to be argued with.

Eric was the first to come out to the car, and he sank into the driver's seat and as he let out a sigh, he looked over at Ronnie, who appeared just as Annie had informed him; like she had gotten no sleep.

"Are you feeling alright?" Eric asked, hoping she would talk to him now, for she had been somewhat cold toward him since he had called child services the afternoon before. Ronnie turned to face him, and she nodded slowly, the dark circles under her eyes appeared more noticeable as the sunlight reflected brighter against her pure skin.

"Really Ron?" Eric asked again, sure she wasn't telling the whole truth. Ronnie sighed and only shrugged.

"Are you still mad at me?" Eric asked, leaning against the seat. Ronnie looked taken aback as she turned to face him again.

"I was never mad at you Eric." She admitted, as though she had done something wrong. She was always so sensitive and worried about hurting others, so Eric had to smile slightly.

"You know it's okay to feel angry sometimes. It's perfectly healthy." He said, and as Ronnie shook her head, unsurely, Eric added, "It doesn't make you anything like your parents." He knew that had been what she had been thinking. She sighed.

"I'm sorry if you thought I was angry at you. I really wasn't. I…I just didn't really know what to do, or how to feel. It just felt like my whole world was being turned upside down, again. It just seems like yesterday my parents died, and now it feels like I'm losing my best friend too. It's just a lot to deal with." Ronnie admitted, looking down at her fading jeans. Eric nodded, understanding.

"I hope you know you did the right thing." He said, after a moment of silence. Ronnie shrugged, and Eric decided not to push, and he started up the engine as he saw Lucy and Simon hurrying to the car.

"I just hope you know how much we all love you and we're here for you if you need to talk." Eric said quickly before Simon and Lucy opened the backdoor and sank inside quickly, chattering away. As Eric drove toward the school, Ronnie already felt a little better.

* * *

When they arrived at the school, Lucy and Simon said a quick goodbye and headed up the stone steps to the school. Ronnie stayed behind for a moment, and looked at Eric with those innocent eyes, that Eric knew still held a lot of pain.

"Are you okay Ronnie?" Eric asked, as he grew concerned. Ronnie smiled slightly and leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks Eric. I love you guys." She said as she grabbed her backpack and headed toward the school.

Eric watched her proceed up the steps toward the school with a smile on his face. Little did he realize he wasn't the only one watching her.

In an old, rundown Chevy, parked across the street from the school, dark brown eyes were fixed upon the small figure approaching the school. The man wore an expression of cunning slyness. He bore a slight grin, and his angry eyes grew more and more intense as he watched Eric's station wagon pull away. As Ronnie disappeared into the school, the man leaned against his seat, and muttered to himself.

"_R-R-R_avishing _R-R-R_onnie."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight!**

Ronnie hadn't been able to concentrate in any of her classes, but she had been relieved that nobody had asked her about Chad's absence. She didn't realize Eric had already called the school to explain the situation to the principal, who had passed the message along to all of his teachers.

Ronnie wasn't able to concentrate at her basketball practice either, as she kept messing up her lay-up and didn't shoot a single basket. Luckily her coach hadn't given her a hard time about it; she knew Ronnie had a lot on her mind.

Practice was over and Ronnie was the last one out of the change room. As she tied her shoelace, she heard the door open and out of the corner of her eye, she saw her coach, Ms. Taraway walking in slowly.

"You're still here Ronnie?" Ms. Taraway asked, as she sat down on one of the benches. Ronnie nodded.

"Almost done." She said simply as she threw her jersey in her backpack. "Sorry about today."

"Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for. Trust me; I can't even imagine playing basketball when I'm going through stuff. You didn't have to come today you know." Ms. Taraway said as Ronnie zipped up her bag.

"I know, but championships are coming up. It's okay. I'll be alright. I'll do better next time." Ronnie replied as she picked up her bag.

"Well you just do the best you can, okay?" Ms. Taraway smiled. "Do you need a ride home?"

"Thanks, but I think I'll walk home. I think I need some time to myself. It's kind of hard to get that with six brothers and sisters at home, who will not leave me alone unless they know I'm okay." Ronnie said as she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, you're lucky to have a family who loves you. A lot of people don't have that, you know." Ms. Taraway winked as she said goodbye to Ronnie and left the change room. _I just hope Chad gets it one day too._ She thought sadly as she sighed. She gathered her things together and headed out.

* * *

She noticed she was one of the last people to leave the school. She didn't see any of her team mates in the hallways; she only noticed a few teachers lingering around, studiously working at their desks.

Ronnie left the school and began walking home. She remembered Annie had offered to pick her up after practice, but Ronnie had insisted she needed the time by herself. Annie had agreed after making sure Ronnie promised to come straight home and not to take any unexpected detours.

_Where would I go anyway?_ Ronnie thought bitterly as she walked down the empty street. She felt eerily alone as silence followed her down the street. She hated walking home alone. On days where Eric or Annie were unable to pick her, Simon and Lucy up from school, Ronnie typically had the company of Simon and Lucy, sometimes even Chad.

Ronnie began to walk a little faster as she began to sense danger approaching. _I'm overreacting. I just hate being alone._ She thought, but still, she quickened her pace.

She didn't realize that a few blocks back, the man that had watched her enter the school that morning had started following her close behind from a distance. He noticed she had started walking faster and he took it as his cue to act. If he was right, he guessed Ronnie would cut through the park, which was always abandoned. A few years ago, the city had torn out all the playground equipment and practically nobody went there anymore. He would take that as his opportunity to strike.

* * *

Ronnie crossed the park and never noticed the old blue Chevy pulling up alongside the park. She made her way to the sidewalk slowly, not seeing the man getting out of his car. He walked right up to Ronnie, who turned around quickly after she had heard footsteps behind her. She startled, and felt nervous as she recognized him immediately.

"Mr. Delano!" She exclaimed as a shiver ran down her spine, remembering the first time she met him. Luke smiled down at her slyly, as he raised his eyebrows. Ronnie felt scared, not sure what he wanted.

"Well, uh, I have to get home." She swallowed hard and as she turned to leave, Luke grabbed her arm and pulled her around to face him. Ronnie let out a little squeal, as his grasp on her was strong, and he was hurting her.

"Sorry dearie, but you ain't going nowhere!" Luke said through clenched teeth. Ronnie felt her heart racing as Luke pulled her toward the Chevy. Ronnie tried to pull away, but Luke was too strong. In the struggle, Ronnie's backpack fell off her shoulder, but she didn't notice.

"Let me go!" She screamed out as Luke lifted her off the ground and shoved her in the backseat of his car. He lowered himself into the backseat as well, pulling out a roll of duct tape and quickly ripping off a piece, roughly sticking it over Ronnie's mouth.

"Nobody takes my kid away from me and gets away with it!" He said as he grabbed Ronnie and pulled her toward him. She struggled fiercely, but Luke overpowered her. He was too strong for her as he grabbed her arms and wrapped duct tape around her wrists, binding them together. He held on to her for a long time, breathing heavily, and stroking her hair softly. Ronnie tried to scream, but the duct tape prevented her from making much noise. She tried to wrestle out of his grip; he was scaring her.

"Listen baby, you'd better not make any noise, because believe it or not, I do have a gun, so you'd better do everything I tell you, or you might find it's the last thing you do." Luke said as he pushed her away from himself and put her seatbelt on. He stared into her brown eyes for a moment and sighed deeply.

"Beautiful eyes." He said as he stroked his hand on her cheek. She pulled away.

"We'll see how your dear old dad likes it when someone takes _his_ kid away from _him._" Luke got out of the backseat and quickly ran around the car to the driver's seat, where he started up the car, and sped down the road, keeping mainly to the back roads.

Ronnie's backpack lay forgotten on the sidewalk.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine!**

"Mary, tell me I'm not crazy, but isn't Ronnie done practice by 4:30p.m.?" Annie asked as she gazed over to the clock on the wall, which read 5:15p.m. Mary puckered her brow.

"Yeah, usually. I guess with the championships coming up, they're getting more practice squeezed in." Mary guessed as she helped her mom with dinner. Annie shook her head, unsure.

"But if she knew she had to stay longer, she would have called, don't you think?" She asked. Mary shrugged.

"Probably, but maybe she hasn't seen the time. I'm sure she's fine, mom. Ronnie's very independent. It's probably from growing up the way she did." She said as she chopped up some vegetables.

"Well she shouldn't have to be. She's only 15 years old. She should know that she's allowed to be somewhat dependent on others." Annie sighed. "I'm going to call the school." But just as she was about to reach for the phone, it rang, causing Annie to jump.

"Hello?" She answered as she caught her breath, feeling her heart racing from the scare of the phone ringing.

"Mrs. Camden? It's Ms. Taraway calling; Ronnie's basketball coach." Ms. Taraway responded and Annie closed her eyes in relief. _She's probably calling all the parents to let us know about practice going over today. _

"Hi Ms. Taraway, late practice today?" Annie asked as she began to feel a little better. There was a slight pause on the other end of the line, causing Annie to begin to feel uneasy again.

"No, practice was over at 4:30p.m., as always. I was just calling to let Ronnie know she left her shorts here." Ms. Taraway explained, feeling confused. Annie began to feel nervous.

"Well, did Ronnie stay late afterward?" She asked.

"No, I saw her leave the school. She said she was walking home." Ms. Taraway replied. "I offered to give her a ride home, but she said she needed time to think." Annie recalled Ronnie saying the same thing that morning. _But I told her not to take any detours home. I told her to come straight home. It doesn't take 45 minutes to walk home._ She thought nervously.

"I'll tell Ronnie to stop by after school tomorrow to pick up her shorts. Thanks Ms. Taraway." Annie said goodbye quickly and hung up the phone. Mary had noticed the look of worry on Annie's face and walked over to her.

"Mom, I'm sure she's fine. She probably just needed time to think on the way home." Mary tried to reason, but Annie shook her head.

"No, I told her to come straight home, and she would know better; especially after the other day when she went over to Chad's house after school, worrying me half to death. She would know better than to do it twice." Annie explained.

"Do you want me to drive down to the school and see if I can find Ronnie on the way?" Mary offered. Annie managed a smile.

"That would be great Mary. You're right, I'm sure she's fine, but I just want her home. She's not really in a great state of mind right now either. She shouldn't be alone. She needs to be around family who loves her." She said as Mary grabbed her jacket, gave her mom a kiss and headed out with her keys.

* * *

Mary kept her eyes peeled as she drove down the route Ronnie would have taken to walk home. She tired not to let herself worry about where Ronnie might be, but none of it made any sense to Mary. Ronnie was a good kid, she knew that, and she always did her best to oblige to Eric and Annie's rules, doing everything in her power to be a good kid. Mary couldn't think of any good reason for Ronnie to disobey Annie, especially after she had specifically asked her to come right home. _Ronnie knows better. She wouldn't even think twice about running off when she was supposed to be home._ Mary drove around the block for the fourth time and still saw nobody, no sign of Ronnie, until…

"What's that?" Mary squinted her eyes as she braked across from the park. She got out of the car and crossed the street to the sidewalk in front of the park. A forgotten backpack lay there that looked oddly familiar to Mary. _It can't be Ronnie's._ A knot formed in her stomach as she knelt down and cautiously opened the bag.

She gasped out loud.

There inside was Ronnie's purple binder with her name scrawled on the front in Ronnie's messy handwriting, as well as the yellow and black jersey with a large number '7' on it, with the name "Camden" arching over the number. Mary held her hand over her mouth, as she began to feel overwhelmingly frightened. She pulled out the jersey, needing to confirm it was Ronnie's, and she stood quickly, scanning the park and its surrounding area.

"Ronnie!" She called. Silence answered her as she tried again and again. Still no answer. Mary stared at the backpack and shook her head. _Where is she? She wouldn't just leave her backpack here in the middle of a sidewalk, not unless there was an emergency! Something happened!_ Mary grabbed the backpack and ran to the car.

She had to get back home.

* * *

"Annie, I'm sure she's fine. She probably just stopped at a store, or maybe she met up with a friend and they chatted. You know how teenagers are; in pacts, they tend to dawdle." Eric consoled as he had just returned home from the church to Annie's worrisome thoughts.

"Eric, I asked her to come straight home. You know how Ronnie is; she wouldn't do anything against us. She's never been rebellious, and she doesn't strike me as the type of kid to start." Annie explained as she paced the kitchen floor.

"Honey, Mary will find her. I'm sure there's a perfectly logical solution to the entire thing." Eric said, trying to keep his own head and be strong about the whole thing. Truth be told, Eric was a little nervous too, knowing Ronnie's temperament and knowing it was terribly unlike her to do something against them, willingly knowing she wasn't allowed.

They both heard the front door open and Annie flew out of the kitchen, with Eric following close behind. Mary put the backpack on the floor and stared with wide eyes at her father.

"Mary? Where's Ronnie?" Eric asked, as he sensed right away something was wrong. _Why does she have Ronnie's backpack?_ Mary shook her head.

"We have to phone the police, dad." She said as her voice shook slightly. Annie's eyes widened as she felt Eric's hand slide into her own.

"Why? What's the matter Mary?" Annie asked nervously.

"I found her backpack on the side of the road, and she wasn't around. I circled the block about four or five times when I finally saw her backpack. She's nowhere. She would never just drop her backpack and leave, unless something…happened." Mary replied as she could feel herself trembling slightly.

Before anyone had a chance to say anything, panic set in, sending Annie flying over to the telephone, dialing 911 without a second thought.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten!**

Ronnie's heart was racing as the sun began to set in the distance. It felt like they had been driving for almost an hour, as houses had begun to disappear. They were in the country now, very far from home. Luke was mumbling to himself for the whole drive, as he occasionally shot a glance at Ronnie through the rear-view mirror.

"Comfy baby?" He would ask, with a rough laugh. Ronnie had tried to struggle out of the duct tape binding her wrists together, but they were too tight. She could feel her hands growing numb, as the tape was beginning to cut off her circulation. Even if she could get the tape off, she knew there was no chance of escaping. She couldn't jump out of the car; Luke was driving much too fast, already over the speed limit. Even if he stopped the car, she knew she wouldn't be able to outrun him, or overpower him; he was too strong.

_And he has a gun._

Ronnie felt herself growing more and more frightened as Luke pulled into a stone driveway, leading up to a very rundown old farmhouse. Ronnie began to struggle fiercely again, even though she knew her odds.

"Hey don't get too excited _R-R-_Ronnie." He rolled his tongue as he turned in his seat. "It's just my dad's old place. He left it to me when he died. I never come here, but since nobody knows about it, I figured it's the perfect place to hide your pretty face." He got out of the car and opened the back door, unbuckling Ronnie's seatbelt. He grabbed her arm and pulled her out, slamming the door behind him. He began to pull her toward the house, and Ronnie tried to struggle away from him, but he overpowered her.

"Stop it baby." Luke said as he pulled her harder. Ronnie didn't, she tried to put up a fight, but Luke took his free hand and slapped her hard across the face. Ronnie felt hot tears in her eyes as Luke stared hard at her.

"When I tell you to do something, you do it, got it? Remember baby, I've got a gun." Luke reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gun, showing it to Ronnie. Ronnie stopped struggling as she had vivid flashbacks of her own father pulling out a similar looking gun no more than six months ago.

"That's better. See? I'm not going to hurt you baby, but you gotta do everything I tell you. Do you understand?" Luke was waving his gun back and forth, eyebrows raised as Ronnie swallowed hard and nodded. She was aware that every part of her body was shaking. Luke stared at her for a minute, as if considering whether or not her answer was sincere. Ronnie hated how he looked at her, up and down, as if he could see right through her.

"Good girl, now let's go. I have a little job for you."

* * *

Annie's hands shook as she tried to drink some tea, but her nerves were shot. She sat at a table across from Eric and Officer Matthews, who was writing up a report. Mary, Lucy and Simon stood by the door. Nobody said a word while Officer Matthews took notes. Annie glanced at the clock on the wall. It was past 7:00p.m. now and Ronnie hadn't come home or called. Eric had asked Ruthie to play with Sam and David for a while upstairs; he didn't want the younger children to be privy to this.

"You said she was at basketball practice?" Matthews spoke up, breaking the silence. Annie only nodded, clutching her warm mug tightly. Officer Matthews made more note as the family watched worriedly. Mary, Lucy and Simon all felt sick to their stomachs as they wondered where Ronnie could be. _Did she get lost?_ Simon thought. _Was she kidnapped?_ Lucy wondered. _Was she…killed?_ Mary shuddered as she heard the doorbell. Annie jumped up but Lucy said she would answer it. She already knew it was Matt, whom she had called about twenty minutes ago. Lucy had told him all about Ronnie's disappearance and Matt had wasted no time, getting in his car and driving over right away.

"Hey Matt." Lucy said with a faint smile as she answered the door. Matt could tell by the look of worry on Lucy's face that Ronnie had not been found.

He followed Lucy into the kitchen where Annie stood to give him a hug.

"Have they found anything mom?" Matt asked as he squeezed his mom tightly. Annie shook her head.

"Mary found her backpack on the side of the road, but Ronnie wasn't around." She replied. Matt nodded and the phone rang! Everybody jumped from their seat and Annie was the first to answer the phone.

"Ronnie?" She answered as her voice shook. Everyone stared hard at her as a look of disappointment crossed her face. She held the phone out to Eric.

"It's for you." She sighed and sat down again. Eric felt disappointed too but he took the phone and answered it.

"Is this Reverend Camden?" The voice asked. There was something oddly familiar about this voice, Eric thought.

"Yes it is. Can I help you?" He asked. Silence followed for about ten seconds before the voice on the other line began to laugh.

"Sucks having your kid taken away from you, doesn't it Eric?" The voice said and Eric's heart skipped a beat. How did this person know?

"Who is this?" Eric asked after a minute.

"I think you know. I'm just paying back the favour. You took my kid away from me, and you know the old saying, 'an eye for an eye." The man replied and Eric knew right away that this was Chad's father, Luke Delano.

"You took Ronnie?" Eric asked nervously, and he could hear the shuffling of chairs behind him as his family and Officer Matthews crowded around him. There was more laughter on the other end of the phone.

"She's a pretty girl, Reverend. Her real parents must have been a good-looking pair." Luke said. Eric felt every part of his body shaking as he took deep breaths and tried to remain calm as he talked to the kidnapper of his daughter.

"What do you want Luke?" Eric asked angrily as his wife stared at him desperately, as well as his children.

"You know Eric, you're a smart man, so this shouldn't be hard for you to figure out. You took my kid away from me, so I repaid the favour. So it's fairly simple; you give me my kid back, and you get yours back. Easy enough, isn't it?" Luke asked. Eric's stomach sank; he had no idea where Chad was now, and even if he did, how could he send him back to this madman?

"Luke, Chad is with social services. You've hurt him too much." Eric tried to be reasonable and calm but Luke wasn't buying any of it.

"Either you get me my kid back, or you'll never see your precious little girl again. I have no problem keeping her here with me, Reverend. She could keep me pretty good company, if you know what I mean. Now I know you're a big family man, so I know you want her back, so I want you to get Chad by tomorrow night. I'll call you then to make sure he's really there, and if he is, then we'll arrange something. I mean it Eric, your daughter is mighty scared over here, and I think she wants to come home, so you'd better do your part." Luke grinned to himself.

"Let me talk to her." Eric demanded. Luke was taken aback. He turned and stared at Ronnie, who was sitting in an old armchair, still bound, with a red mark over her mouth where Luke had ripped the duct tape off to ask for her phone number.

"Why?" Luke asked Eric.

"Because I want to make sure she's okay. How do I know you haven't already killed her?" Eric replied, all too familiar with hostage situations. Luke sighed and glared at his victim.

"Fine." Luke brought the telephone over to Ronnie and pulled out his gun.

"Your daddy wants to talk to you; make sure you're all fine. Listen baby, if you say one word about where we are, I'll put a bullet through your head." Luke hissed as he held the gun against her head, using his free hand to hold the phone to her ear.

"Ronnie?" Eric asked after a moment of silence. Ronnie began to cry as she listened to his voice.

"Eric." She managed to say through her tears, as she could feel the pistol against her temple. Eric's heart sank as he heard his daughter's voice.

"Did he hurt you Ronnie?" Eric asked.

"Yes, but I'm okay. But I want to come home." Ronnie cried.

"Where are you sweetie?" Eric asked, feeling so nervous, with Annie's hand clutching his arm tightly, wanting to talk to Ronnie herself.

"I-I can't say Eric. He'll…kill me if I say anything." Ronnie felt the phone pull away from her ear as Luke put the gun back in his pocket.

"See? Your little girl is just fine. I'll take good care of her, Rev. You just make sure you have Chad by tomorrow night." Luke hung up the phone.

Eric heard the click and knew he had been disconnected. Eric pulled the phone away from his ear slowly, feeling a lump in his throat as he hung up.

"Eric! Is Ronnie okay?" Annie asked desperately, with the kids staring at him just as curiously. Eric lowered himself into the nearest seat, still shocked from the conversation. He had just spoken to the monster who had taken his daughter away from them, and also to Ronnie, who had never sounded more terrified in her life.

He didn't know what he was going to do, but somehow, he had to figure it out before the next day.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven!**

No matter how hard Ronnie tried, she could not get her eyes to adjust to the dark. She tried squinting her eyes, she tried blinking repeatedly, but nothing came into focus.

After Luke had hung up with Eric, he pulled Ronnie up from the armchair and dragged her up the stairs into a bedroom. Ronnie's heart had begun racing at that point; she didn't like the way he looked at her, and the way he kept calling her beautiful. Now they were alone in a bedroom, and she didn't know what Luke was going to do to her.

As Ronnie had tried to struggle from his grip, he only laughed, as if he could read her mind.

"Don't worry, lovely. I won't do anything like _that_ to you." He said as he turned her to face him. He had stared deep into her eyes, and took deep, raspy breaths. "Not right now anyway. Oh yes, baby. We will have a little fun before you go home to your daddy. I think I've fallen for you, and I want to show you just how I feel about you. But not right now. Just be patient; it'll come." He laughed as he opened the closet door in the bedroom and shoved her in, bending down next to her. He ripped the duct tape off her wrists, and Ronnie saw the deep red marks that had been left. She was relieved that her arms were free, but Luke had pulled out fishing wire and began stringing it around her wrists, binding them together and then to an old pipe that was running up the side of the wall.

"I can lock this door, but I don't want you to try anything. I gotta make sure you don't run off on me. We're gonna be together for a little while; at least until I get my boy back." Luke said, as though he were talking more to himself than to Ronnie, who was almost wincing from the pain of the tight wire digging into her wrists. Ronnie swore she saw blood trickling down her wrist before Luke got up with a wink, and slammed the door, leaving Ronnie in complete darkness.

Ronnie could only hear the sound of her breathing heavily. She was relieved he had left the duct tape off her mouth; it had irritated her greatly, but he had told her if she tried yelling or screaming, he would come up there and put a bullet through her head.

She tried to struggle out of the fishing wire, but whenever she pulled or twisted, the wire would cut deeper into her skin, and she almost cried out in pain. She could feel the moist blood running down her arm now and she fought the urge to cry. _I will not cry. I have to be strong. I will not let him see me cry._

Ronnie thought about Annie, and Eric and her sisters and brothers who she figured were very worried by this point. _At least they know I'm safe, for now._ She thought, and then she thought about Chad. Would Eric really let Chad go back to Luke, or would he try to come up with another plan? For a brief moment, Ronnie began to blame herself for everything. _If only I had kept Chad's secret. I wouldn't be here._ But then she reasoned with herself. _Maybe I wouldn't be here, but Chad would still be with him, and I don't want him to be hurt anymore. _Ronnie sighed out loud as she leaned up against the hard, cold wall. She closed her eyes, though the darkness made it feel like they were closed anyway, and tried to pray.

_God, I'm scared, but I don't want him to see me scared. He scares me God, he said we're going to have fun, and I don't know what he means by that, but I think I have an idea, and I just pray somebody finds me before he tries anything. I just want to go home. Please help my family not to worry, and please help Eric think of a plan so everybody can be safe. Me and Chad. And I pray that if I ever get out of this, that Luke will never hurt anybody ever again. _

* * *

Mary and Lucy sat in silence in their attic bedroom, facing each other, heads down. It was late now, almost midnight. They had been sitting in their bedroom for hours now, after Eric told everybody about Chad's father being the kidnapper and what he wanted in return for Ronnie's safety. Mary and Lucy both had watched on as Officer Matthews called for backup and went to Luke Delano's house on Krad Street. Eric had gone with them, but he returned shortly after, disappointed, and everybody knew that neither Luke nor Ronnie had been there. Mary and Lucy had excused themselves at that point, tired and sick with worry.

As they sat in their bedroom, they were unaware of what was happening downstairs, but they didn't want to think about it. Neither of them could sleep; especially not knowing where their little sister was. They both tried hard to trust that their dad would take care of it, but they couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Chad wasn't returned to his father.

* * *

Annie slowly walked into Ronnie's bedroom and stood in the doorway for a moment, stifling back tears. It was a motherly habit of hers to peek in on all of her children each night to make sure they were safe and asleep, and Ronnie's empty bedroom was too much to bear. 

She let herself in and approached her bed slowly, and she felt her emotions overwhelm her when she saw the two stuffed animals lying on Ronnie's untouched bed. One, a stuffed monkey, which Annie had bought for Ronnie while she had been in the hospital recovering from the gunshot wound her father had inflicted upon her. Ronnie had been so surprised by the stuffed monkey, because, as she confided in Annie, she had never had stuffed animals growing up, dolls or anything. Annie had been saddened by this, but was happy to have shared the moment of a young girl receiving her first stuffed animal, whom she had named Chimpy.

Beside Chimpy, was a little white stuffed teddy bear, with the name "Ronnie" stitched in red thread on its belly. Annie had bought one for each of their children on the day of their births to symbolize their entrance into the family, so it was only fitting to buy one for Ronnie when she was adopted.

Annie felt her tears begin to fall down her cheek as she picked up the teddy bear, and lowered herself onto Ronnie's bed, cradling the teddy bear sadly, wishing it was Ronnie in her arms.

* * *

Eric gripped his hair tightly in his hand as he and Officer Matthews sat in the kitchen. Officer Matthews had just come up with a plan to get Ronnie back, but Eric was unsure of the whole idea.

"Look I don't like the idea of putting Ronnie in danger like that." He said, as his voice shook. Officer Matthews sighed slowly, nodding his understanding.

"I know buddy, but you know we can't just hand Chad over like that, it would be putting both of their lives in danger. I hate to break it to you Eric, but we can't be sure Luke will keep his end of the bargain. How do we know once he has Chad, he won't just run off with both of them? He's crazy, and we have to account for that. I've already called Alice from social services and although she was reluctant, she's allowing it. Listen Eric, there are no guarantees, but I'm doing everything I can to get Ronnie back, and keep Chad safe. We just have to be hopeful." Matthews stared at Eric, who only nodded unconsciously, obviously more worried than he had ever been.

"Are you sure you want to be there tomorrow night? I mean, I can handle the negotiating with my team, if you'd rather not." Matthews suggested.

"No, I'm definitely going to be there. Ronnie must be terrified, and tomorrow night will only make it worse, and I want to be there for her when this is all over. I want her to know I'm there for her to bring her home where she'll be safe." Eric sighed as he rubbed his eyes fiercely. "I just want to bring her home."

And then a tear rolled down his cheek.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve!**

Chad Delano was outside of the Glen Oak Youth Home for Boys the next morning, throwing a baseball back and forth with another boy who lived there, Adam. Alice had brought Chad straight here after he was taken away from his father, and he had been adjusting as best he could, under the sudden circumstances. He had been told that in a few weeks, he would move in with a foster family, but Chad didn't know much about who they were. They were arranged to meet each other the following week, and in the meantime, Chad tried to make himself as much at home at the Youth Home as was possible. He did feel more safe, knowing he wouldn't get beat up for anything he did wrong. He had wanted so badly to call Ronnie, but he wasn't quite sure what he would say to her. Part of him wanted to thank her, but another part of him felt guilty for being that happy about being away from his father. He figured he would give it another couple of days. It couldn't hurt.

"Come on Chad, are you gonna play or what?" Adam called as he raised his glove in the air. Chad had been distracted, thinking about Ronnie.

"Sorry man, just thinking." Chad hurled the ball into Adam's ready hand, who caught it readily.

"Come on, you can do better than that." Adam threw the ball back and Chad shrugged with a hint of a smile. As he was about to chuck the ball back to Adam, one of the social workers walked outside, Jim. He was pretty cool, Chad thought, but noticed Jim looked serious about something.

"Chad, I need to talk to you. Can you come with me, please?" Jim motioned toward to the door. Chad hesitated, as he dropped the forgotten baseball on the ground, following Jim slowly. What if something had gone wrong? What if they were going to make him go back to his father? It had been hard adjusting to a new place, but he knew he didn't want to go back; not after being away for a few days. _He must be so angry right now. The last thing I want is to be around him right now._

Chad followed Jim down to his office, and when the two of them entered, Chad recognized three figures. The first one was Alice, the social worker who took him to this place, and had tried to talk to him on the drive there, to reassure him that things were going to be okay. The second figure was Officer Matthews, the cop who had told his father that he was being charged with child abuse, Officer Matthews, and the third figure was easy to remember. It was Reverend Camden; Ronnie's adopted dad. Chad smiled when he saw Reverend Camden, hoping Ronnie might have come with him to visit, but he felt uneasy when he didn't see Ronnie. Something was going on, their faces said it all.

"Hi Chad." Eric said with a small hint of a smile.

"You're going to make me go back, aren't you?" Chad asked, skipping all the pleasantries; they weren't important. The same people who had taken him away from his father were all gathered in the same room again; that meant something had gone wrong.

"No Chad, but we do need your help. You might want to sit down." Chad reluctantly found the chair behind him and lowered himself in, feeling frightened. He didn't like the look on Eric's face, and Alice was fidgeting with her hands, and Officer Matthews wouldn't look up at anybody. Eric leaned forward.

"Listen Chad, I don't know if you're going to like what you hear, but we really need your help. Ronnie's gone. She's been…she's been kidnapped." Eric managed to say and he watched as Chad's eyes widened.

"What? Where is she? Who took her? What happened? Is she okay?" Chad's questions exploded out of him, demanding answers. The fear was overwhelming; his best friend was missing. He wanted answers.

"Listen Chad, this is going to be hard to hear. Your dad…your dad took her. He called us last night to tell us he had her." Eric explained, obviously distraught about his daughter missing. Chad's stomach dropped, and his heart leaped into his throat as he wondered if he heard right. His own father kidnapped his best friend.

"Why?" Was the only word Chad managed to let escape from his mouth, as he could feel his whole body shaking now.

"Well, we won't go into details Chad. You don't need to know everything, but listen, this is where we need your help. Your dad has told Eric that he'll let Ronnie come home if we hand you over to him. He wants you back, and that's when he'll hand Ronnie over." Officer Matthews explained.

"You just said you weren't going to let me go back to him!" Chad yelled out, furious about the whole situation. His best friend was in the hands of his father, who was a madman, and the only way she would get away from him was if he went back with his father. The whole thing seemed unfair. If he stayed at the Youth Home, he would be safe, but Ronnie wouldn't be. But if he went back to his father, Ronnie would be safe, and he wouldn't be.

"We're not, Chad, but listen; we're going to pretend like you are. It's the only way. We're going to have cops hiding out around the area and we're going to send you forward, to make it look like we're giving you back. Once we have a clear path, we're going to come out and arrest him. But we can't do it without you Chad. I promise you that with your help, both you and Ronnie will be safe." Officer Matthews managed a small smile as Chad looked over to Eric, who seemed as though he were desperately pleading with Chad to help him get his daughter back.

Chad sighed, he felt so scared, but knowing what he had to do. Ronnie had unknowingly risked her safety when she told Eric all about Chad's abuse at home; she had only been trying to help him, and now, his father had gone after her. Chad knew what his father was capable of; violence, for one thing, but he knew the way he looked at other girls, and especially the way he was looking at Ronnie only a few days ago. He had that same, familiar look on his face as the times he had brought strange women home. Chad knew what he had to do. Ronnie had done her best to help him, and now it was his turn.

"Okay. I'll help. I just want Ronnie to be safe." Chad said, as his voice shook slightly. He looked up and saw a smile from Eric, and he nodded his thanks.

Chad just hoped whatever they wanted him to do, that it would be enough to get Ronnie away from that monster.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen!**

Ronnie had lost all track of time; she had been trapped inside the closet for what seemed like days, but she figured by now, a day must have passed. Luke had peeked in on her a few times during the night, blinding her with the light on the other side of the door, and then slamming the door shut again, locking it behind him. She could feel her stomach growling from hunger. She hadn't eaten since lunch the previous day, and she could feel herself growing weaker. She wondered what was going to happen. She wondered if Eric had a plan. She wondered when, or if, she would get to go home.

Her wrists felt numb now, and the silence buzzed in her ears, causing her to feel even more dizzy than she already felt from the lack of food. She knew she wouldn't be able to fight Luke off if he tried anything, but she figured he must have planned it that way, and that scared her even more. _We will have a little fun before you go home to your daddy. I think I've fallen for you, and I want to show you just how I feel about you__. Just be patient; it'll come._ Ronnie shuddered as she tried desperately to stay strong.

* * *

Downstairs, Luke was drinking out of a beer bottle as he paced back and forth in front of the telephone, thinking hard. He was getting ready to call Eric Camden, just like he said he would. He looked at the clock; it was 6:00p.m. He found it odd how he had kidnapped Ronnie Camden the previous day, and he still hadn't been caught. Things were going his way, and he felt proud of himself, but he was slightly nervous about pulling the rest of his plan off, but he would not show his fear. He had to be in control. He already had it all planned out. If the cops showed up, or if anything didn't go his way, he would keep the girl; he wanted to anyway. He thought about just grabbing her once he had Chad and taking the two of them far away. He couldn't get Ronnie's pretty face out of his mind; he had thought about her all night, and longed to have her, but wanted to wait. He wanted to wait until she grew too weak to fight back, and he wanted to wait until she built up enough fear. He loved to see the fear in her eyes, and know it was because of him.

Luke finally placed the beer bottle on the floor and dialled the same number he dialled the previous evening.

* * *

Eric had been sitting by the phone, with Annie next to him. Officer Matthews was seated across from them. Chad was in the next room, playing video games with Simon. Eric didn't want Chad to have to hear the telephone conversation; he knew Chad was already scared, so Eric had asked Simon to distract Chad for a while, before the whole ordeal had to take place.

Annie reached over and took Eric's hand in her own and squeezed it. Eric smiled awkwardly at her. There was no denying the fear they both felt. Neither of them knew what was going to happen tonight. They didn't know if they would get Ronnie back, or if Luke would try to run off with her, or with both children, or even worse, whether or not Luke would kill Ronnie. Both Eric and Annie knew the risks and the possibilities, and all they could do was pray and hope that Ronnie would be returned safely tonight.

They both jumped when the phone finally rang and Eric calmed himself down quickly enough to pick up the phone. He didn't want Luke to think he was afraid of him.

"That you Reverend?" Luke said. Eric could tell right away he was drunk, and he hated that Ronnie was in his care.

"It's me Luke." Eric replied, steadying his voice as best he could.

"Well, good. Here's hoping you have my kid, Eric." Luke said with a threatening voice.

"Yes, I do. Chad's here with me, and we're all ready to make the trade." Eric lied, feeling confidant that Luke would believe him. It was true that Chad was there, but there would be no trade made, at least not if things went smoothly.

"Good man Eric. I knew you wanted your baby back. She's still here. I don't think she's a happy camper though Eric. Who would be? I mean, being locked in a dark closet all night and all day with no food or water. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Poor girl. Well, it'll all be over soon." Luke was enjoying the torture he was putting Ronnie's family through, but Eric didn't let on that it bothered him.

"So what's the plan Luke?" He asked. Luke laughed.

"You waste no time, do you buddy? I want you and Chad to be here within the next two hours, and you'd better speed, because it's pretty far from where you are now. No cops, Eric, or your little girl stays with me. Just you and my boy, and then we'll trade. This is the address." Eric scrambled for a pen and paper as Luke gave him directions to the old farmhouse in the country. Eric knew the area; it was at least an hours worth of driving. He really would have to speed.

"Oh and when you get here, don't bother getting out of the car. Just honk your horn, and we'll come to you. See you soon buddy." With that, Luke hung up the phone. Eric breathed heavily as he placed the phone down on the table. Annie stared at him for an explanation and he turned to face her.

"I have to go now." He said simply, giving a nod to Officer Matthews, who headed into the living room to get Chad ready. Annie's eyes were glazed with tears.

"I'm coming too." She said simply, as she went to grab her coat. Eric took her arm and shook his head.

"You can't sweetheart. Luke said just me and Chad. If he sees you, he won't give Ronnie back. I'm already worried about him seeing the cops. We have to do things his way or we'll never see Ronnie again. I know how much you want to come; I wish you were there too. I know Ronnie will need you when Luke hands her over." He explained. Annie looked genuinely disappointed, but she nodded, understanding what had to be done.

"She needs you too Eric. Just get her back, okay?" Annie leaned in and gave Eric a kiss, as he hugged her, holding her in his arms, not wanting to let go.

Finally, he grabbed his coat and headed out the front door, where Officer Matthews was waiting for Chad. Officer Matthews must have already called for backup, because there in the Camdens driveway were four police cars, all filled with trained officers, all ready to help Eric rescue Ronnie. Eric said a quick prayer before he got in his own car with Chad, praying that Luke wouldn't see the police cars. Officer Matthews had promised that they would be parked out of distance, and stay well-hidden on the property, but still, Eric felt uneasy as he started his car.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen!**

Ronnie felt her head growing heavier as she was sleep deprived and hungry. She felt as though every ounce of strength had been sucked from her. Her wrists were throbbing from pain, as she wondered why Luke hadn't peeked in on her for a while. She started wondering if he had just left her there to die, but when a blinding light pierced through the crack of the door, Ronnie knew Luke hadn't gone anywhere.

As Ronnie's eyes adjusted to the light, she could feel Luke's rough hands against her wrists. He was taking the fishing wire off of her wrists. Ronnie's eyes finally adjusted and the first thing she saw was the amount of blood dripping from her wrists. She winced slightly as she glanced up to see Luke staring at her with those piercing brown eyes.

"Guess what?" He asked with a grin on his face. Ronnie could smell the alcohol on him as she averted his gaze. She hated how he played games with her.

"Your daddy's coming with Chad in the next hour or so." Luke said with a confidant tone. Ronnie turned her head quickly, but tried not to let her relief show. _Eric's coming to get me. But what about Chad?_ Ronnie tried to trust that Eric had a plan to keep everybody safe.

"So you know what that means, don't you?" Luke asked, as Ronnie could feel her heart beating faster. _Oh no, please God, no!_ "We have a little less than an hour to have some fun. Oh Ronnie, now I get to show you how much I love you." Luke reached into the closet and grabbed Ronnie's arms, pulling her up roughly. Ronnie tried to struggle, but the room was spinning, and she felt as though she were falling from consciousness, and fast.

Luke pulled her over to the same bed Ronnie had seen when they first entered the room and he shoved her on top of it. Ronnie hit her head on the headboard, and as she scrambled to sit up, Luke was already on the bed, shoving her back down. He managed to sit on top of her, as she tried desperately to push him away. He only laughed as he grabbed hold of her flailing wrists and pinned them down above her.

"Please don't." She tried to say as she could feel tears forming in her eyes. Luke smiled in his usual perverted way.

"Don't say that baby, you want it just as badly as I do." He said, and he bent down until his face was right in front of hers. She could smell the alcohol on his breath very strongly, as he pressed his lips against hers. He was rough, kissing her hard, as she tried to turn away, but he had grabbed her head with his rough hands and was holding her in place. She tried to push him off of her, but he was too strong. Ronnie felt his tongue slipping into her mouth and exploring the inside of her mouth. She had never felt anything like this before, and she was scared. She pushed him and hit him, but it went unnoticed, and he started stroking her hair as he wouldn't stop kissing her. She could feel his rough face rubbing against her smooth skin.

Luke pulled his face away from her and she gasped for breath as she stared at him with dark, fearful eyes.

"Oh Ronnie, you are the most _r-r-r-_ravishing girl I have ever kissed." He said as he bent down again and dug his head into her neck, pinning her arms against her side, as he kissed and breathed all over her neck. He made strange grunting sounds as his lips explored every inch of her neck.

"Stop it, please!" Ronnie tried, but she could feel herself fading, as she grew weaker from the lack of food and dehydration. Luke was enjoying every minute of this; being in complete control of an innocent young girl who was in no way experienced, and she was too weak to fight back. This was how Luke liked it. She was like a little doll in his arms, frail and soft.

He sat up and observed her for a moment as she began to breathe heavily, afraid of what was coming next. He took his hand and traced his finger all over her face, as she turned her head away. Luke didn't like that; she was trying to fight back. He wanted to be in control. He grabbed hold of her hair and pulled her face back toward him. She let out a small yell.

"Don't try and fight it. I _will_ show you how great my love is for you!" He yelled, and as Ronnie winced from the pain, Luke shoved his face hard against hers, as he still had her head locked in place. As he kissed her, he made murmuring sounds as his other hand was caressing her cheek; his rough hands hurting her, almost as much as having her hair nearly pulled out.

"Ronnie, Ronnie." He kept whispering. Ronnie could feel every part of her body shaking as Luke let go of her hair, and brought his free hand to hold Ronnie's face in place as he kissed her and kissed her, never wanting to stop.

He did stop, after a few minutes and then that grin came across his face again, and he looked down to Ronnie's body, the same shifting eyes up and down her body that she had experienced since she first met him, that day with Chad.

He began to laugh as he reached down to Ronnie's stomach, and began lifting up her shirt, slowly. Ronnie began to push away his hands.

"No! No!" She shouted, but he slapped her hard across the face.

"You keep your hands above you like they were, or I'll kill you! Don't think I won't!" He screamed, and Ronnie did as she was told, but she could feel the tears falling from her eyes. She failed; she didn't want him to see her afraid, but the fear at that moment was too overwhelming. He was going to rape her, and there wasn't anything she could do about it.

Luke lifted her shirt slowly, as he bent down and began kissing her stomach. He wanted every inch of her, and Ronnie tried to look at the ceiling, trying to fade away, but couldn't. She could feel his rough face too strongly on her sensitive skin.

Her shirt was lifted a little bit higher, as Luke's hands gently traced around her belly button, followed by his lips, roughly pressing against her skin.

"Oh I'm going to enjoy this!" He said as he went for her belt buckle. As he began to unfasten it, he listened to the desperate cries coming from the young teenage girl, and he laughed. "This _will_ hurt, baby. It's your first time, isn't it?" He took great pleasure in knowing it was, as he struggled with the belt. He finally pulled it off and threw it against the wall. As he fumbled with the zipper, desperate to get it undone, he was distracted by the sound of a car horn. Ronnie gasped as she looked toward the window. Luke looked in the same direction as he narrowed his eyes. Ronnie started to breathe heavily again as Luke stared down at her.

"Don't move!" He said as he got up off of her, and she could feel herself able to breathe better without his weight on top of her. Luke ran over to the window and gazed through the curtain. Ronnie prayed and prayed that it was Eric, or somebody to come and rescue her from this madman. Luke swore under his breath and turned back into the bedroom. He threw his fist into the wall.

"Damn!" He shouted, causing Ronnie to jump, but she didn't dare move from her spot. He turned and stared at the young girl, who never once looked him in the eye. Luke came over to her and grabbed the sides of her arms tightly, digging his fingernails into her skin, as he pulled her up roughly. He stared at her, with angry eyes.

"Your daddy's early. That wasn't part of the deal, see? I want more time with you, and I _will_ have it. Once I get Chad, I'm gonna tell your dear old dad that I'm taking you with me, and if he tries to fight, I'll kill him." Luke said with a shrug.

"No!" Ronnie yelled in his face, surprising herself. She was so scared of him, but he had threatened to kill her adopted father, and to take her away.

Luke dug his nails deeper into Ronnie's arms, as Ronnie let out a squeal.

"I'm in control here, and we _will_ be together! I _will_ show you how much I've fallen for you!" Luke grabbed her face in his hands once again and pressed his lips against hers once more, making more strange noises. As he released himself from her, he smiled slightly.

"We'll finish this later." He pulled her up from the bed, and grabbed his gun from his pocket. "Let's go."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen!**

Eric sat in his car, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he stared at the old farmhouse. He could feel his heart hammering against his chest, almost hearing it. He could hear Chad nervously tapping the car window, and Eric wanted to look over at him, but he didn't dare take his eyes off of the house. This was where Luke had held Ronnie for the last day, and he knew in a few minutes, he would see Ronnie, and he was terrified to see what the kidnapper had done to her. _She said yesterday that he hurt her. How badly?_ Eric rubbed his eyes roughly as Chad's voice pierced through the silence.

"You're sure the cops are hiding around here?" He asked. Eric nodded, not letting his eyes leave the front door of the house.

"I'm sure. They parked at the end of the street and snuck up to the house before we got here." He explained as he sighed deeply; wanting nothing more than to get Ronnie, as well as Chad, home safely.

"What if this doesn't work, Reverend Camden?" Chad asked. Eric turned his head long enough to see that Chad's eyes had fear swimming in them. Eric tried to give a reassuring smile.

"It will, Chad. It has to." He turned to look at the house again, unsure himself if the plan would really work. He couldn't see any of the police officers, not one. He assured himself they were well hidden, but he had half expected to see at least one, to reassure himself. He was going on nothing but faith now.

Eric jumped when he saw the rotten wooden door on the old farmhouse open slowly.

"Let's go." Eric said as he unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the car. Chad obeyed, feeling every part of his body shaking as he and Eric stepped up onto the front yard of the house. Luke emerged from the house, gripping Ronnie tightly by the hair, holding a gun to her head with his free hand. Eric's heart leapt into his throat, as his fatherly instinct nearly threw himself forward to grab Ronnie from the monster's grip, but he knew better. Luke was, after all, holding a gun against his daughter's head.

"Eric, you're early." Luke shouted across the yard, as he eyed Chad with narrow eyes. Eric swallowed hard and nodded.

"Sorry. Listen, I have Chad. I want my daughter back." Eric felt fear overwhelming him as he saw the tears streaming down Ronnie's cheeks as she stared desperately at him. Luke only laughed.

"Patience, my friend. You'll get her back, but first, I want Chad to come here." He said. Eric felt his heart skip a beat. It wasn't going to be a fair trade; he had a bad feeling already.

"Luke, I'll send Chad when you send Ronnie. How do I know you won't run off once you have both of them?" Eric asked. Ronnie wanted so desperately to tell Eric that was exactly what Luke was planning to do, but Luke had told her right before they left the house that if she so much as said one word, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her, right in front of her father.

Luke laughed again.

"Eric, I'm in control here. I have the gun, and I have your daughter. I won't hesitate to kill her. So, you do as I say, or she dies. Send Chad up here!" He yelled out, pulling harder on Ronnie's hair, causing her to let out a quiet shriek. Eric prayed quickly that the cops knew what they were doing, as he turned to Chad, who stared back at Eric with very frightened eyes.

"Chad, I know this is scary for you. I don't know what's going to happen, but Officer Matthews assured me they will do everything they can to get you kids safely away from your father. Try to be brave, okay?" Eric couldn't believe this was actually happening. He felt like he was putting both of the kids in danger with this plan, especially because Luke had a gun; something he hadn't expected, but nothing else seemed to make sense.

Chad took a deep breath and started heading forward toward his father and Ronnie. Eric became very aware of the sweat brewing on his forehead, as he kept his eyes on Ronnie and Luke, afraid to shift his gaze for even a moment. Chad was walking slowly, and Luke seemed to be growing impatient.

"Hurry up Chad!" He yelled, and Chad's steps quickened. Finally, he was standing in front of his father, staring at Ronnie with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry." He whispered to her, as he saw the tears in her eyes.

"Shut up!" Luke yelled before Ronnie could say a word. Luke pushed Chad out of the way as he stared at Eric with a confidant grin.

"Nice doing business with you, old buddy." He started pushing Chad toward the old Chevy, still in the driveway, dragging Ronnie with him. Eric started running toward them, but Luke stopped and put the gun under Ronnie's chin, making Eric stop dead in his tracks.

"Don't move, Reverend! Come one step closer and I'll kill her. What would you rather have? A missing daughter, or a dead daughter? I'll send her back soon. I'm not finished with her quite yet." Luke kept the gun held against Ronnie as he kicked Chad toward the car. Eric looked around nervously. Where were the police officers? What were they doing? Just as Luke opened the car door with his free hand, Eric heard a shot echo through the air, and Luke dropped his gun, grabbing his shoulder, screaming. Ronnie had fallen to the ground, and Chad had scrambled over to her, afraid she had been shot. Police officer after police officer had come running out of their hiding places, holding their guns down at Luke, shouting at him not to move. Two cops had come running out and grabbed Ronnie and Chad quickly, pulling them away from Luke, who was bleeding on the grass. Ronnie looked around desperately. _Where did Eric go?_ She couldn't see him anywhere now, as the policeman led her further and further from the house and from Luke. Everything had happened so quickly and as the officer was trying to talk to her, asking her questions, she saw him in the corner of her eye, running toward her.

Eric.

She released herself from the policeman and ran toward Eric, with tears running down her face, desperate to be in his arms. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up, hugging her so tightly, as she cried and cried.

"Dad, I was so scared!" She kept saying, as he held her close. He was so happy to have her back; he barely noticed that she called him 'dad' for the first time.

"Are you alright?" He asked, as he pulled away to look at her. He noticed the left side of her face was bright red. Ronnie sniffled and wiped away her tears.

"You got here just in time. He was going to…" She remembered his hands and his lips, exploring her body. Eric puckered his brow.

"He was going to what?" He asked, feeling anger filling up inside of him as he looked over at the monster, who was being cuffed at that very moment. Ronnie felt sick to her stomach as she thought about it, and she looked at Eric with sad eyes. She didn't want to talk about it right now. She knew the cops would question her eventually, but for now, she just wanted to be with her family.

"Can we talk about it later? I just want to go home." Ronnie wrapped her arms around Eric's neck and he hugged her tightly, worried about what had happened during the last day she was missing.

"Ronnie. The police brought a paramedic with them, just in case you were hurt. I'd like it if you let her take a look at you, just in case. Will you do that for me?" Eric asked, feeling relieved but worried at the same time. Ronnie sighed, but nodded. It was already beginning to get dark and she knew the drive home would be at least an hour, and she really wanted to see the rest of her family, but she obliged. She took Eric's hand and he led her over to a police car, where a young woman was waiting with a kit.

"Hello, and you must be Ronnie. My name's Kim. Would it be alright if I looked at that bruise on your face, and make sure everything else is okay?" Kim asked, as she smiled. Ronnie nodded shyly, but before she could approach Kim, she heard a voice.

"Ronnie!" Ronnie turned and saw Chad running toward her. Ronnie started walking toward him, knowing her father and Kim would respect the moment she needed with her best friend. Chad stopped in front of her and just stared at her with sorrowful eyes. There was a moment of silence, where nothing was said, before Chad finally was able to open his mouth again.

"I'm sorry Ronnie." He managed to say, as his voice shook. He could feel tears coming on, but he had never cried in front of his best friend before, and the moment was a little awkward for him. Ronnie shook her head.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Chad." She said.

"He's my dad."

"But you didn't tell him to do this."

"I know, but…"

"Chad, it's okay." She paused. "I'm the one who should be sorry." Chad puckered his brow.

"Why? For being kidnapped?" He asked. Ronnie shook her head.

"No, for breaking my promise to you. I told you I wouldn't tell anyone and I told my dad. I'm sorry Chad. I didn't know what to do. I was just trying to do the right thing." She lowered her head.

"You did do the right thing. I was mad at first, then I wasn't sure. But when I heard that you were kidnapped, that all changed. I saw my dad for the criminal he really is. Besides, the group home I'm staying at is pretty cool."

"Are you happy Chad?" Ronnie wanted to know that more than anything else.

"Yeah, I am. I owe it all to you. You're my best friend." Chad smiled, and Ronnie smiled back, feeling tears brewing in her eyes. She had been worried all this time that she had lost her best friend, and now he was standing in front of her, and he was still her friend.

"You're my best friend too." She couldn't help herself. She threw her arms around him and hugged him. He hugged her tightly, as Eric and Kim watched on. Eric smiled. It was so good to have Ronnie back, and to see the two friends reunited.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen!**

Ronnie had fallen asleep in the car on the ride home. Officer Matthews had offered to drive Chad back to the boy's home, so Eric could get Ronnie home as soon as possible. Eric thanked God for the whole hour driving back. Kim, the paramedic, had said that Ronnie's cheek would clear up on its own, but it would be tender for a little bit. Ronnie had admitted that Luke hit her a fair bit, but she still hadn't opened her mouth about how he had almost taken her virginity away from her. That would come. Kim also disinfected the deep cuts on Ronnie's wrists and wrapped them tightly in gauze bandages to stop the bleeding caused by the fishing wire. Kim also said Ronnie would need a good meal and lots of liquids to catch up on all the food she missed over the last 24 hours. Eric couldn't believe the monstrous things Luke did to his daughter, but he tried not to dwell on them, as he was just grateful that she was alive.

_Father, thank You for keeping her safe and thank You for bringing her home to us. _Eric let out a long sigh as they turned onto their street in Glen Oaks. Ronnie stirred and opened her eyes and looked out the window, with a small smile, glad to be home. Eric noticed.

"I bet Annie and the others are waiting up for you." He mentioned. Ronnie turned and stared at him.

"Were they worried?" She asked. Eric looked at her in disbelief.

"What do you think? We were very worried. Chad was really worried too. We're all just so glad you're safe." He turned into the driveway, and before he had a chance to say or do anything, Ronnie opened the car door and ran to the front door, with tears already forming in her eyes. She opened the front door and ran inside, seeing nobody, but hearing a familiar voice from the kitchen.

"Eric?" It was Annie, and she sounded worried, as Ronnie could hear footsteps running. Ronnie smiled as the tears began to fall.

"Mom!" Ronnie ran to Annie, who had just entered the front foyer.

"Ronnie!" Annie had started to cry too as she embraced the sobbing girl tightly. Eric entered the house shortly after and they could hear trampling down the stairs, as Mary, Lucy, Simon and Matt flew down the stairs.

"Are you okay?" Annie kept asking as she stroked the brown hair. Ronnie nodded.

"I am now." She managed to smile as Annie pulled her away and stared at the bruise on her face, and down to the bandaged wrists.

"It's okay. It'sover, and I'm okay." Ronnie reassured as she turned to her four siblings. She ran to them and they all embraced her together, closing her in so Eric and Annie could no longer see her. The two of them held hands as their children were reunited and the tears were flowing freely from everyone. Eric leaned in.

"You okay?" He whispered. She smiled and nodded.

"I am now that she's safe." She replied. "What did he do to her?"

"We don't know everything yet. She didn't want to talk about it right away, but she will. I think she just needs something to eat and a good night's sleep." Eric said. Annie smiled and stared up at her husband.

"Did you hear what she called me?" She asked proudly in a low whisper. Eric nodded.

"Yep. She called me dad earlier too." He replied with a smile.

And the two joined their children in the tight group hug.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen!**

Three weeks had passed since Ronnie had returned home to her family. The day after she came home, she had to make a statement to the police about what had happened at Luke's farmhouse. Eric and Annie sat with her and they were shocked by what had happened. They insisted that Ronnie see a therapist twice a week so she could begin to deal with what had almost happened.

Ronnie was getting by just fine, especially after she testified against Luke in court and he was sentenced to ten years in prison. Ronnie felt safe, and happy that she was home with her family.

But her lifted spirits dropped when she received a phone call a week after she came home. It was Chad. He had called to tell her his news about moving in with a foster family.

"Chad, that's great. Do you like them?" Ronnie had asked as she leaned against her bed, giving her homework a break.

"Yeah, they're pretty cool. Chuck is a lawyer and Natasha is a nurse. They already have a daughter who's nine. Her name's Nadia." Chad explained. Ronnie was thrilled for Chad, but couldn't help but notice he sounded somewhat sad over the phone.

"That's awesome Chad. Aren't you excited?" Ronnie asked. Chad sighed.

"Yes, I'm excited, but…there's bad news." He said. Ronnie's stomach dropped. She feared it would have something to do with his father causing problems again.

"What?" She asked carefully.

"They don't live in Glen Oaks. They live four hours away. I'm…I'm moving." Chad finally said after a few moments. Ronnie's heart sank as the realization hit her.

"What?" She had heard every word he said, but allowing herself to believe it was another story.

"They live in Georgetown. I'm leaving in two weeks." Chad had told her again. Ronnie was heartbroken. Her best friend was moving away. She thought it was bad when she thought Chad was mad at her, but she was grateful they had made up, and now he was leaving. Annie had been there for Ronnie as she cried for hours that night and for the next couple of weeks, Annie drove Ronnie over to the home where Chad was staying so the two could visit. The visits were hard on Ronnie, especially knowing that she would not be able to see Chad like this anymore, but she wanted to have the memories to hold on to when he left.

* * *

On a Saturday afternoon, 3 weeks after Ronnie had been rescued, she was outside in the backyard with Mary, playing basketball. While Mary took a shot, Ronnie's eyes shifted down to her wrists to see the cuts were healing. She wondered if the horrible memories of those two days would eventually fade like the scars.

"Do you think you're ready?" Mary asked, referring to the championship game that was a week away. Ronnie shrugged, throwing the ball in the hoop. Mary noticed she was really quiet, and had been for most of the last two weeks, since she found out Chad was moving.

"Ronnie, are you okay?" Mary asked as she took the ball and sat down on the pavement. Ronnie stared at her for a moment. She could remember many talks with Mary, sitting on this very pavement. She finally lowered herself down to the ground, with a sigh.

"It just doesn't seem fair." She admitted as she traced her finger along the pavement.

"What doesn't seem fair?" Mary asked.

"Why kids have to end up with bad parents. It still hurts to think about how my dad almost killed me, and then killed my mom and eventually himself. I was lucky that you guys came along, but it's not fair that I had to have them as my parents in the first place. And Chad; it's not fair he had to have the dad he did. Because of Luke, Chad was hurt and because of Luke, I was kidnapped and hurt and almost raped. Because of Luke, Chad's moving away!" Ronnie had started to cry now and she tried to hide her face, but Mary knew that Ronnie was crying.

"Ronnie, I know it's not fair, but you know everything happens for a reason. Chad's never going to be hurt again, and it's all thanks to you. I'm really proud of you for making that step to tell dad. You may have saved Chad's life." Mary said as Ronnie sniffled.

"I'm just really going to miss him." Ronnie said as her lip quivered. Mary crawled over and embraced her sister tightly, as Ronnie cried.

"I know it's not the same as a best friend, but I'll always be here for you." Mary said. Ronnie nodded, knowing this was true. She sniffled once more and managed to smile at Mary.

"Ronnie?" Ronnie turned and saw Annie standing in the doorway.

"Yeah mom?" She asked, as she tried to dry her eyes.

"Chad's here. He needs to talk to you." Annie replied. Ronnie's heart skipped a beat as she could tell by Annie's face that something was wrong.

Ronnie looked at Mary, who gave her a reassuring nod, and Ronnie headed inside. She looked at Annie, as if to ask what was wrong, but Annie didn't say a word. She only kissed Ronnie on the head, as Ronnie entered the living room. Sitting on their couch was Chad, along with a couple and a little girl. Ronnie guessed this was his foster family, and when she saw them, she knew.

"Hey Ronnie." Chad said as he stood up. He looked so sad and Ronnie shook her head.

"You're not leaving today, are you?" Ronnie asked as she could feel more tears coming. Chad sighed and didn't answer, which Ronnie knew meant he was.

"But Chad, you told me you weren't leaving until Wednesday. That's four days away!" She yelled. Chad took her arm and led her into the foyer, away from the family, so he could talk to her privately.

"I thought I was leaving on Wednesday, but Chuck and Natasha thought it would be easier to do the move on the weekend, so they wouldn't have to miss any work, and they wanted me to start at my new school on Monday, to get used to it. Look Ronnie, if I had known, I would have told you earlier, but I just found out this morning." Chad said, as Ronnie's tears began to run down her cheek. She didn't know what to say, she could only stare at him with glossy eyes, desperate to make him stay.

"I promise I'll call every weekend, and I'll write. Chuck and Natasha already said you can come visit me anytime, and they've offered to drive me down to visit once in a while." Chad was feeling just as sad as Ronnie was, but was hiding his emotions well; something he had always done.

"Chad?" Ronnie spoke up after a moment. Chad looked up.

"Yeah Ron?" He asked. Ronnie wiped a tear away.

"How can I be sure we'll stay in touch? What if we just forget about each other?" She asked. She had heard many stories about people who have had friends move away, and they eventually lost touch. She didn't want to ever lose her best friend.

"I don't know Ronnie. What I do know is this. You're the greatest friend I have ever had. You helped me through really hard times, without even realizing it. You got me away from my dad. You're always going to be my best friend, Ron. I don't care how far away we are; that will never change." Chad said as he managed to smile a little. Ronnie smiled back with a small nod.

"You're my best friend too Chad." She gave him a hug, and wouldn't let go. "I'm going to miss you so much." She cried as she clung to him tightly.

"Me too." Chad said, as he could feel a lump in his throat, threatening to bring on tears, but he managed to keep them down.

Chuck, Natasha and Nadia entered the room, where Ronnie, feeling embarrassed, turned away so she could wipe her tears.

"It's okay Ronnie. I know you're sad, but you know what? You're welcome to come visit Chad anytime, okay?" Natasha put a hand on Ronnie's shoulder as she smiled at her. Ronnie nodded as she tried to smile back. She looked at Chad again, and knew it was time for him to go. She walked with them to the door and as Chuck, Natasha and Nadia walked to the car, waiting for them at the end of the Camden's driveway, Ronnie threw her arms around Chad once more.

"Remember what I said, Ronnie. You're always going to be my best friend." Chad said as he gave a final wave and walked down the steps to where his new family was waiting for him. Ronnie kept her tears to a minimum as he got into the car. As Chuck pulled the car out of the driveway, Chad and Ronnie waved at each other until the car finally turned the corner, and Chad was gone. That was when Ronnie began to cry out loud. She wasn't alone long, for behind her, Eric and Annie walked out onto the porch and put their arms around her as she cried.

"I love you sweetie." Annie whispered into her ear. Ronnie turned around and buried her face into Annie's shoulder, nodding.

"I know Chad's moving far away, honey, but remember, your family is always here for you. I know it's not the same, but we're never going to leave you, and we're never going to stop loving you." Eric said as he rubbed Ronnie's back. Ronnie looked up at Eric and then at Annie. The pain she was feeling hurt, but she knew she would be okay. No matter what happened in her life, she would always have her family. She had already been through so much, but the Camdens had been there for her through it all. She loved them more than anything, and she knew they loved her in return.

As she gave them another hug, she knew she was blessed to know she had a family she could always fall back on.

**The End!**

**_Thanks for all your reviews and for making Ronnie Camden popular. You can bet there will (eventually) be more stories about Ronnie's life as a Camden._**


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